The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine bivalent for children six months old through four years of age.
At least two months prior to getting this booster, children must have completed their three-dose primary vaccination series.
Children in that age range who only received the first two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are not currently eligible for this booster. The FDA recommends that they complete the three-dose series.
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The FDA said in its announcement that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent includes an mRNA component that provides a “broadly protective” immune response against COVID-19, as well as against the omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5.
“Today’s authorization provides parents and caregivers of children 6 months through 4 years of age who received the three-dose primary series with the monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine an opportunity to update their children’s protection by receiving a booster dose with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent,” said Peter Marks, M.D., PhD, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a press release announcing the authorization.
“Currently available data show that vaccination remains the best defense against severe disease, hospitalization and death caused by COVID-19 across all age groups,” he added.
“We encourage all eligible individuals to make sure that their vaccinations are up-to-date with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine,” he also said.
Before authorizing the booster, the FDA analyzed immune response data for 60 children in this age range who had completed the three-dose vaccine series in addition to a booster dose.
H/T Fox News (read more at FoxNews.com)
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