COVID Booster Shots For Kids 5-11: What It Means In Minnesota

MINNESOTA — Children ages 5 to 11 in Minnesota could soon get their COVID-19 booster shots as the country sees a slight rise in the number of COVID cases, as the state's reinfection rate nears 69,000 cases.

The FDA amended the emergency authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for kids ages 5-11 Tuesday. This is the first step in a process that could make the shots available to Minnesota kids later this week.

Under the authorization, the booster can be given at least five months after a child has completed their initial vaccine series.

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.

As of Tuesday, the Minnesota Department of Health reported that the state had seen a total of over 1.2 million cases since the beginning of the pandemic, including reinfections, and over 68,700 total reinfections.

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.