Updated Guidance for Covid bivalent eligibility for under 5 with Q&A

christianmormon

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Update: Bivalent COVID-19 vaccine dose for children age 6 months - 4 years old

Author: Caregiver Communications/Tuesday, December 13, 2022/Categories: News, News, News (CCF), COVID-19 News

In December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna in children from 6 months to 4 years of age. This updated vaccine is expected to provide better protection against currently circulating strains of COVID-19.

Three-dose primary series information

Children aged 6 months through 4 years who have not started their three-dose primary series of the Pfizer vaccine OR have not yet received their third dose will now receive the bivalent Pfizer vaccine as their third dose. Their first two doses will be the original monovalent COVID-19 vaccine.  

Children aged 6 months through 4 years who have already received all three doses of their primary series are NOT currently eligible for a bivalent booster dose.

What if my child received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine?

Children aged 6 months through 4 years who received the original Moderna COVID-19 vaccine ARE eligible for a single booster dose of the Moderna bivalent vaccine two months after completing their primary series with the original Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Cleveland Clinic is currently ranked as one of the nation’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report (2022-2023). Visit us online at http://www.clevelandclinic.org for a complete listing of our services, staff and locations.
 
@christianmormon I worry the rollout for this, especially for kids under 3, is going to be really slow. In my state pretty much the only option for under 3s is at pediatrician’s offices, and they are all completely slammed with sick kids. Hard to imagine they have the time to get this all set up. I would’ve loved to get my son (who had Moderna in the summer) boosted before the end of the year!
 
@icecream543791 If anyone is looking for appointments, this is a crowd-sourced spreadsheet of places where the u5 bivalent booster is being offered: bit.ly/bivalent5-data. And if you know of places that are offering it not on this sheet, pop them on there with this form: bit.ly/bivalent5-form.
I have an 8am appointment for my 2 year old tomorrow at a mass vaccination site. Fingers crossed they don't run out.
 
@icecream543791 In our area, most Pediatricians don't even have the original moderna, let alone the booster, they just have Pfizer (and that took them WEEKS) to get.

We had to take our 2yo on a 40 minute drive each way to the local health center for his 1st and 2nd shot. Now debating whether we make the trip for his bivalent booster (and when? With the holidays it seems like it's both a good and bad idea), or wait until his 3rd birthday in February and get it at the local pharmacy.
 
@icecream543791 The rollout sucks. I have a kid under 3 and I'm struggling to find much. At the moment I have an appointment about 45 min away next week. Even the vaccine clinic near us who quickly rolled out the first under 5 series doesn't have the bivalent booster yet, despite ordering it.
 
@katrina2017 If it makes you feel better, the risk to unvaccinated children is already so low that the difference between the two vaccines is utterly clinically insignificant. Some countries don't recommend covid vaccines at all for young children.
 
@deafmommy that's cuz the vaccines were barely effective for under 5 at preventing sickness or spread. But they were very effective in preventing hospitalizations and severe illness of the few vulnerable children who would have otherwise been very sick.

so in context that's very low risk, but high consequence.
 
@seditthis literally us. I almost didnt get him the first dose and could have enrolled him in the new trial a week later had I not just pulled the trigger while we were already in for a cold and conjunctivitis and strep 😷

so he got his first dose, they called me a week later for modernas new trial which he now doesn't qualify for, and another week later my husband gets covid, then I get covid. and the kid miraculously doesn't get sick.

probably the luck of the draw and not worth as much brain energy as we all feel compelled to expend to feel some semblance of control of this situation.... lol
 
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