CDC Announces Youngest Children Eligible for Updated Boosters

On March 17, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a recommendation for updated boosters for children aged 6 months to 4 years who have completed their three-dose primary series with the original Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

The updated boosters are called “updated” because they protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5. Two COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer and Moderna, have developed updated COVID-19 boosters. The most recent update to the CDC's vaccination recommendations provides that the youngest age group is now eligible for an updated booster as long as they have completed a three-dose primary series.

Updated COVID-19 boosters became available on:

• Sept. 2, 2022, for people aged 12 years and older;
• Oct. 12, 2022, for people aged 5 to 11 years;
• Dec. 9, 2022, for children aged 6 months to 4 years who completed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine primary series;
• March 17, 2023, for children aged 6 months to 4 years who completed their three-dose primary series with the original Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

If you have received your updated booster dose, you are currently up to date. There is not a recommendation to get another updated booster dose.

The new CDC recommendations are available here.

Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871