Illinois Kids Ages 5-11 Could Soon Be Eligible For COVID-19 Booster

ILLINOIS — As COVID-19 cases across Illinois continue to surge to more than 40,000 new cases in the past week, kids between the ages of 5 and 11 may soon be able to get COVID-19 booster shots as a descendant of the omicron variant causes an uptick in cases around the country, health officials said.

The FDA amended the emergency authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Tuesday, which now authorizes the booster dose for kids between 5-11. It’s the first step in a process that could make the shots available to Illinois as early as this week. Under the authorization, the booster can be given at least five months after the kids completed the initial vaccine series, health officials said.

State health officials said that 73 percent of Illinois residents over the age of 5 have been fully vaccinated while 81 percent of residents over the age of 5 have gotten at least one dose. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of Pfizer shots for kids 5-11 in October 2021 after initially authorizing kids ages 12-15 to be eligible for the vaccines in May of last year.

Illinois health officials have not yet set a timeline for when kids statewide could be eligible to receive their COVID-19 booster.

In Illinois, more than 51 percent of residents have received their COVID-19 booster while 69 percent of Illinoisans are fully vaccinated. The Illinois Department of Public Health said last week that the seven-day rolling average of vaccinations administered daily is 11,586.

But health officials are urging residents to get their boosters as new cases continue to add up. Last week, the health department said that 23 Illinois counties have risen to the medium transmission rate after spending months in the low category as set forth by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

“While case counts are rising, we would urge the public not to be alarmed, but to be aware of this trend and to take action by making sure they are up-to-date with vaccinations and booster shots,” IDPH Acting Director Amaal Tokars said in a news release. “In addition, in areas that are rated at a Medium Community Level, people who are elderly or immunocompromised are strongly advised to mask up in indoor places.

"And if you test positive, you should consult with a healthcare provider about obtaining a prescription for one of the therapeutic treatments that are widely available. The treatments are much more effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths when they are taken early in the course of the illness.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel of outside experts, is expected to sanction the boosters Thursday, and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is expected to give her approval soon after.

At the same time, the federal government is giving away a third round of free COVID-19 tests. The program now offers eight tests to be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.

Health experts say the new subvariant, known as BA.2.12.1, is particularly worrisome because it is more transmissible than other highly contagious omicron subvariants, and because it’s able to evade antibodies built up from vaccines or previous infections.

Pfizer-BioNTech said last month that a clinical trial involving 140 children showed the booster shot improves children’s immunity both against the original strain of the coronavirus and the omicron variant.

The effectiveness of vaccines wanes over time, and children between 5 and 11 would become the youngest Americans eligible to get the extra level of protection with the approval of the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration.

That leaves children under 5 as the only Americans for whom vaccines are not available. Both Pfizer and Moderna have clinical trials underway to determine the best vaccine regimen for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Pfizer paused its application for approval of the vaccine for children under 5 after the FDA asked for more data. Moderna has asked regulators to approve vaccines for young children.

In March, regulators approved a second COVID-19 booster shot for people 50 and older.