FDA clears updated COVID boosters for kids as young as 5

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer

The U.S. is about to offer updated COVID-19 booster shots to kids as young as 5. The tweaked boosters rolled out last month for Americans 12 and older — shots designed to target the currently spreading omicron variants. On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized kid-size versions for 5- to 11-year-olds. There’s one more step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also must sign off. Officials hope to expand protection against an expected winter surge. The updated shots contain half the recipe that targeted the original coronavirus strain and half protection against the dominant BA.4 and BA.5 omicron versions.