On October 12, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration approved bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccines (providing protection for the original coronavirus strain and two Omicron subvariants) for individuals ages 5 and over. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for those 5 and over, while the Moderna vaccine is approved for those 6 and over (CDC).

Following the FDA’s updated approval of the new bivalent COVID-19 booster, the CDC expanded its recommendations on the booster for children ages 5 to 17 (the bivalent booster had already been approved and recommended for individuals over the age of 17).

The Pfizer-BioNTech booster vaccine is approved for those 5 and over, while the Moderna booster is approved for those 6 and over (CDC). Individuals can receive the booster if they are at least 8 weeks (2 months) out from their last booster shot or infection with COVID-19 (CDC).

The Omicron-specific bivalent booster adds components of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants to the existing booster against the original novel coronavirus.   

Bivalent boosters are now widely available in the St. Louis community (KSDK).

None of the existing COVID-19 boosters are recommended for children ages 6 months to 5 years at this time (CDC); rather, the original dose series is recommended for this age group. The CDC will update guidance on COVID-19 vaccines for this age group as information becomes available.