US: FDA authorises updated COVID-19 booster shots for children under five

The US Food and Drug Administration has now authorisedbivalent COVID-19 boosters for children between the ages of 6 months and four.The booster, offered by both Pfizer and Moderna, was originally approved for use in October by anyone five years of age and above.

"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," FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.

"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," he added.

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The modified booster shot is targeted to fight against the omicron subvariants - BA.4 and BA.5.

Children can receive the booster shot after two months of receivingtheir primary set.According to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the authorisation implies that more than 267 million Americans are now qualified to take the jab.On the other hand, as of 30 November, only 13 per centof individuals who were qualified had gotten an updated booster dose.

The FDA confirmedthat it considered immune response data from adults who had received the original booster, which focused on the original omicron variant BA.1, as well as data from a study comparing children who received the original booster and children who only received the primary series.

(With inputs from agencies)

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