CDC, FDA authorize COVID-19 Omicron booster shots for kids

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday recommended a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for children as young as 5, aimed at the Omicron variant, hours after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the shot.

The big picture: The announcement comes as the White House continues to monitor a rise in the COVID-19 subvariants emerging and evolving throughout the world.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed off on a decision memo expanding the use of the shots without waiting for a meeting of the CDC’s advisory committee, CNBC reports.

With approval from the CDC and the FDA, pharmacies can now begin administering the shots as soon as they've received the dose shipments.

Details: The FDA’s emergency use authorizations apply to the Moderna and Pfizer bivalent vaccines.

The Moderna shot is approved for children as young as 6 years old, and the Pfizer dose is approved for children as young as 5.