New COVID-19 Boosters Arriving Soon for Children 5–11

(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – Following yesterday’s federal and state approvals, children ages 5–11 are now eligible to receive updated, bivalent COVID-19 boosters. Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) anticipates bivalent boosters for this group will become locally available by October 27.

With pediatric, bivalent COVID-19 boosters on the way, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has halted the use of existing boosters in children in this age group.

SCHD’s mobile vaccine clinics and its main clinic at 2716 W. Central will only offer first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine to this group until the bivalent boosters arrive locally. SCHD will contact affected clients at its W. Central clinic to reschedule.

Bivalent boosters have been available for ages 12 and over since their approval in early September.

Under the Bivalent Booster Recommendations, Children:

• Must be 5 years or older for Pfizer-BioNTech, 6 years or older for Moderna.
• Must have completed at least a primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations using any approved vaccine.
• Must have received the last COVID-19 shot at least two months ago. The last shot could be a primary series dose or an earlier booster.
• May mix and match (i.e., choose a different manufacturer’s booster from previously received doses).
• Can wait three months after recovery from COVID-19 infection.

Bivalent COVID-19 boosters provide added protection against serious illness and hospitalization by targeting the original coronavirus and the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants. Data from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) show BA.4 and BA.5 cause almost all new infections in Kansas.

The Commonwealth Fund estimates that 80% booster coverage of eligible Americans over age 5 could prevent 90,000 deaths and 936,000 hospitalizations this winter. COVID-19 has caused thousands of hospital stays and over 1,700 deaths of children under 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-19 vaccine is available at medical provider offices and other locations around Sedgwick County: Vaccine Clinic Locations | Sedgwick County, Kansas

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