Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Authorizes Bivalent Covid Shots For Kids
The Food and Drug Administration signed off on the vaccine change Thursday morning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was expected to quickly follow suit. The change applies to third doses of both the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, called Comirnaty, and Moderna's vaccine, named Spikevax, though there are slight differences in age and dose between the two. (Weintraub, 12/8)
The agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was slated to meet Friday, however the meeting — which did not have an agenda disclosed — has been postponed, according to the committee’s website. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is expected to endorse the FDA emergency use authorization. (Lim and Gardner, 12/8)
Dr. Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration's vaccine chief, said he is well aware that COVID-19 booster uptake might be low for the latest shot, authorized by the government on Thursday morning for young children over 6 months old, but he told ABC News that he's hopeful increased access may also lead to some kids getting greater protection against the virus ahead of the winter, when infections can be more likely. (Haslett, 12/9)
Vaccination rates in children under the age of 5 are the lowest for any age group in the country. Only 10% of kids under the age of 5 have received even a single dose of Covid vaccine. With the amended EUA, children 6 months to 5 years of age who received the Moderna vaccine for their primary series can get a bivalent booster, so long as at least two months have elapsed since they completed the two-shot primary series. (Branswell, 12/8)
