Variant-Targeted COVID-19 Vaccines For Youngest Kids Approved

December 9, 2022

Valentina A. Valdez Herrera receives her COVID-19 vaccine at Norristown Regional Health Center, in Norristown, Montgomery County on July 29, 2022.
Credit: PA Internet News Service

On Thursday, federal health authorities approved doses of the revised COVID-19 vaccine boosters for kids under the age of five.

The variant-targeted booster doses produced by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are intended to better protect the youngest children against severe COVID-19.

The last hurdle before shots of the revised formula can start is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s approval, which is anticipated shortly. After that happens, COVID-19 vaccine providers will begin receiving doses.

“More children now have the opportunity to update their protection against COVID-19 with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, and we encourage parents and caregivers of those eligible to consider doing so – especially as we head into the holidays and winter months where more time will be spent indoors,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf. “As this virus has changed, and immunity from previous COVID-19 vaccination wanes, the more people who keep up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, the more benefit there will be for individuals, families and public health by helping prevent severe illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths.”

COVID-19 vaccines targeted for the new variants have already been approved and are in use across the country in everyone over the age of 5.

Only 3 percent of children younger than 2 and close 5 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 4 have received their initial doses as of this week, according to CDC data.

The authorizations come at a time when hospitalizations and COVID-19 infections are rising amid the colder weather and holiday season gatherings.

Other viruses and the flu are on the rise this season and are placing a strain on hospital emergency rooms, especially those that serve children.

Federal and state health officials are urging everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated against the flu and the common cold.

Since the pandemic began, there have been more than 148,017 COVID-19 infections and 2,073-related deaths in Bucks County, according to Pennsylvania Department of Health data.

Federal data shows 85.7 percent of Bucks Countians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 74.2 have received two doses, and 35.3 percent have received booster shots.