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title: Pfizer Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Gets FDA Nod for Young Kids
description: Children ages six months to four years can receive Pfizer-BioNTech&#x27;s booster two months after their primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations.
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author: TIME
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article:published_time: 2023-03-15T13:42:11.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-02-24T15:35:01.215Z
article:section: Health
og:title: Pfizer&#x27;s Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Gets FDA Nod for Young Kids
og:description: Children ages six months to four years can get the booster at least two months after their primary series of shots
og:url: https://time.com/6263043/pfizer-bivalent-covid-booster-children/
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twitter:title: Pfizer&#x27;s Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Gets FDA Nod for Young Kids
twitter:description: Children ages six months to four years can get the booster at least two months after their primary series of shots
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17b7c5cffb5e31ca/698a3b20096a9416af6ad936/bivalent-covid-19-booster-kids.jpg?branch=production&amp;width=3840&amp;quality=75&amp;auto=webp&amp;crop=16:9
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17b7c5cffb5e31ca/698a3b20096a9416af6ad936/bivalent-covid-19-booster-kids.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Pfizer's Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Gets FDA Nod for Infants and Toddlers


by 

[Nacha Cattan/Bloomberg](/author/bloomberg/)


## Nacha Cattan/Bloomberg


Mar 15, 2023 1:42 PM CUT

![bivalent-covid-19-booster-kids](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17b7c5cffb5e31ca/698a3b20096a9416af6ad936/bivalent-covid-19-booster-kids.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Immunisation. Protecting children from diseases. Close-up nurse in medical gloves giving injection to little patient. Brave boy getting a flu shot at doctor's office and looking at needle

Immunisation. Protecting children from diseases. Close-up nurse in medical gloves giving injection to little patient. Brave boy getting a flu shot at doctor's office and looking at needleGetty Images

by 

[Nacha Cattan/Bloomberg](/author/bloomberg/)


## Nacha Cattan/Bloomberg


Mar 15, 2023 1:42 PM CUT

Pfizer Inc.’s bivalent shot for COVID-19 has received emergency approval to be used as a booster in some infants and toddlers.

Children between six months and four years old can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech SE shot at least two months after completing their primary series of vaccinations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [said](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-bivalent-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-booster-dose?utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fsource=govdelivery "undefined") Tuesday.

Kids who have already had a Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine aren’t approved to get jabbed again, because they’re adequately protected against the most serious COVID-19 complications, the FDA said.

The authorization closes an inoculation gap for young children who were able to receive a series of three monovalent Pfizer shots but were ineligible to then get the company’s bivalent booster. The bivalent shot is designed to protect against two Omicron variants, called BA.4 and BA.5.

Starting in [December](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-updated-bivalent-covid-19-vaccines-children-down-6-months "undefined"), the FDA allowed infants and children to receive the bivalent shot as the third dose in their primary series of COVID vaccinations. The FDA also then authorized the use of Moderna Inc.’s mRNA bivalent vaccines for the age group.

Booster uptake in all age groups has dropped, with only 16% of Americans getting the latest round of shots targeting Omicron.

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