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

WISCONSIN — Federal health officials on Tuesday approved emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot in children ages 5-11, as a descendant of the omicron variant drove up cases across the country and in Wisconsin.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended its emergency authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to allow children 5-11 to receive a booster dose five months after their initial vaccine series. These shots could be available to Wisconsin's kids later this week.

A panel of outside experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to sanction boosters on Thursday, and CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky should 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 delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.

Health experts say the new coronavirus 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.

Here's what's going on in Wisconsin:

• Omicron, or the BA.2 variant, made up 54.7 percent of COVID-19 cases in the Midwest on Saturday, CDC data showed. BA.2.12.1 has jumped ahead since the start of April, landing 44.7 percent of cases on Saturday.
• State health officials recommended residents take precautions, like staying up-to-date on vaccines and getting tested for COVID-19, as cases rose across the Badger State. The seven-day average of new cases was 2,193 new cases on Sunday, Department of Health Services data showed.
• Seven Wisconsin counties had "high" community transmission rates and dozens more had "medium" rates on Friday, according to federal data. Health officials recommend people take protective measures like wearing a mask indoors in counties where rates are high.
• Cases in Milwaukee County flared up when the seven-day average for daily new cases rose to 366 on Tuesday, up 110 since the week of May 9, the county data dashboard showed.

Booster Shot Proven Against Original COVID-19, Omicron

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 FDA.

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 its vaccines for young children.

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