The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized updated COVID-19 booster vaccine shots developed by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, for children aged five years and above to enhance protection against the COVID-19 virus.
The US FDA has updated the emergency use authorizations for the Modern COVID-19 vaccine, and the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, bivalent to approve their use as a single booster dose in young children. The updated COVID-19 booster shots can be administered two months after the completion of primary vaccination.
According to the US FDA, since children have started going back to school in person and people are resuming pre-pandemic behaviours and activities, there is potential for an increased risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Vaccination remains the most effective measure to prevent the serious consequences of the COVID-19, including hospitalizations and deaths.
As children have been less impacted by COVID-19 than adults, the experts are encouraging parents to make sure that children are vaccinated as the United States starts a new school year.
The US FDA has approved COVID-19 vaccinations for children over 5 years, opening the door for the immunisation of children against the COVID-19 virus that has killed over one million people in the United States.
