FDA clears COVID booster shot for healthy kids ages 5 to 11

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer

U.S. regulators have authorized a COVID-19 vaccine booster for healthy children ages 5 to 11. Everyone 12 and older already was supposed to get one booster dose for the best protection against the newest variants of the coronavirus. Some people, including those 50 and older, can choose a second booster. The Food and Drug Administration’s action Tuesday now opens a third Pfizer shot to elementary-age kids, too — at least five months after their last dose. There is one more hurdle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must decide whether to formally recommend the booster for this age group.