Pfizer Inc.’s bivalent shot. for Covid-19 has received emergency approval for use as a booster in some infants and young children.
Children six months to four years old can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech SE shot at least two months after completing the primary vaccination series, the US Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
Children who have had the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine are no longer approved to be jabbed, as they are adequately protected against the most serious complications of Covid-19, the FDA said.
The authorization closes the inoculation loophole for minors who can receive a series of three monovalent Pfizer shots but are ineligible for the company’s bivalent booster. The bivalent shot is designed to protect against two omicron variants, called BA4 and BA5.
Starting in December, the FDA allowed infants and children to receive the bivalent injection as the third dose in the Covid vaccination series. The FDA also later authorized the use of bivalent mRNA vaccines from Moderna Inc. for age groups.
Booster uptake across all age groups has declined, with only 16% of Americans getting the latest shot targeting omicron.
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