Missouri OKs COVID vaccine for youngest children
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is following the recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for children down to 6 months of age to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
After analyzing data from clinical trials involving thousands of children, confirming the vaccine's safety and effectiveness for children in this age group the CDC gave its recommendation.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for children down to 6 months of age on June 17.
- Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine: Now authorized to be given to children ages 6 months-4 years in three doses, with a 3-week interval between the first two doses, followed by a third dose at least 8 weeks after the second dose.
- Moderna vaccine: Now authorized to be given to children 6 months-5 years in two doses with 28 days between the two doses.
There have been over 2 million confirmed cases of COVID among children 6 months through 4 years of age, according to CDC data. Of those cases, over 200 children have died after contracting the virus. COVID-19 is the fifth most common cause of death in children under age 5.
