Should your child receive the updated Covid-19 booster? An expert weighs in - CNN

CNN  — 

Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance recommending the updated Covid-19 booster for children ages 5 to 11. Previously, the bivalent booster was recommended for children 12 and older, arsenic good arsenic for each adults. Now, the Pfizer/BioNTech booster is disposable for children 5 and older, and the Moderna booster tin beryllium fixed to children 6 and older.

What should parents see erstwhile deciding whether to get the updated booster for their children? Are determination circumstances that mightiness punctual families to wait? Are determination immoderate downsides? What astir children who conscionable turned 5 — should they get the caller booster? If a kid has not been vaccinated yet, are they eligible for the updated booster?

To usher america done these questions, I spoke with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an exigency doc and prof of wellness argumentation and absorption astatine the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is besides writer of “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey successful the Fight for Public Health,” and the parent of 2 young children.

CNN: Who is present eligible to person the updated Covid-19 booster? Does it substance however galore vaccines they’ve antecedently received?

Dr. Leana Wen: Essentially, everyone 5 and supra tin person the caller bivalent Covid-19 booster, arsenic agelong arsenic they person completed their superior vaccine series. It doesn’t substance however galore boosters they whitethorn person had. That means a kid who received conscionable the archetypal 2 doses of Pfizer oregon Moderna tin get the booster, arsenic tin a kid who already got 1 booster dose, arsenic agelong arsenic it’s been astatine slightest 2 months since their past vaccine dose.

CNN: What should parents and caregivers see earlier choosing the updated booster for their children?

Wen: There are 2 cardinal questions to ask. First, is your kid astatine high hazard for terrible illness owed to Covid-19? The astir important crushed to get vaccinated is to trim the accidental of hospitalization and different terrible outcomes. The archetypal 2 doses of the vaccine are precise bully astatine achieving this for astir children. Some whitethorn inactive beryllium astatine higher hazard for worse outcomes, nevertheless — if a kid has superior underlying aesculapian conditions, for example, is connected chemotherapy oregon is simply a transplant recipient. A booster dose would beryllium advisable successful these circumstances.

Second, is it precise important for you to debar Covid-19 corruption successful your children? Many families person decided that erstwhile their kids are vaccinated, if the hazard of terrible unwellness is precise low, they bash not prioritize eliminating Covid-19 infection.

On the different hand, others stay precise vigilant and cautious. Perhaps they are acrophobic astir the unknowns astir agelong Covid. Perhaps they privation to debar their kids being sick, starring to missed schoolhouse days and enactment days for caregivers. Or possibly determination is different household subordinate to protect, specified arsenic an aged grandparent oregon idiosyncratic other with chronic underlying conditions. All of these are tenable considerations for getting kids the booster sooner than later.

One happening I’ll caution is that we don’t cognize however agelong the booster volition beryllium effectual successful reducing symptomatic infection. Some studies person shown that the effectiveness of the superior vaccine against symptomatic corruption whitethorn wane wrong a fewer months. That said, a batch tin hap with Covid-19. We could spot rising cases this autumn and winter. There could beryllium a caller variant that becomes dominant. Many parents whitethorn privation to get their kids optimal extortion successful lawsuit of different surge, and past determine again adjacent twelvemonth if different booster is needed.

CNN: Are determination circumstances that mightiness punctual families to hold to boost their kids?

Wen: If a kid has conscionable had Covid-19, I deliberation it’s advisable to hold astatine slightest 3 months, arsenic the CDC recommends earlier boosting. Reinfection is improbable successful this clip period, and it mightiness beryllium beneficial to let the assemblage clip to make its ain immune response.

The aforesaid goes with a erstwhile vaccine. The CDC says that children and adults tin get the updated booster arsenic agelong arsenic it’s been astatine slightest 2 months since their past vaccine shot.

I deliberation these are some minimum intervals. Many experts, including me, judge that determination is payment to waiting longer — possibly 4 to six months — aft corruption oregon past vaccination. That longer clip play tin let the assemblage to make improved immunity earlier different boost, arsenic some studies person suggested. However, I besides recognize and admit the CDC’s request to person streamlined guidance, and it’s tenable to travel their guidelines arsenic stated.

CNN: Is determination immoderate downside to giving kids the booster?

Wen: This is an important question to ask. The mode that I’d reply is to clarify that each involution — including vaccines — has upsides and imaginable downsides. Parents and families volition measurement the upsides and downsides differently. The grounds is precise wide that for the archetypal vaccines, the upsides acold outweigh immoderate imaginable risk. The grounds is little wide for boosters.

In the lawsuit of a kid with superior underlying aesculapian conditions, for example, determination is simply a important upside to getting the booster to forestall terrible outcomes owed to Covid-19. For different children, particularly for younger children nether 12, the archetypal vaccines are astir apt inactive precise protective, and it’s not yet wide what the added payment of the booster is successful reducing the hazard of hospitalization.

There are immoderate common broadside effects to Covid-19 vaccines. The immense bulk are benign and self-resolving; symptoms similar assemblage aches, fatigue, fever, and soreness astir the tract of the booster jab usually spell distant successful a mates of days. (There are precise uncommon cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of the bosom musculus astir often seen successful the teen male. These, too, thin to resoluteness connected their ain and bash not origin semipermanent effects.) Broadly speaking, these should not beryllium a large information for parents.

The CDC has recommended the booster, and I deliberation it’s tenable for parents who privation to travel the guidance to bash so. For those connected the fence, having a frank speech with your pediatrician astir your family’s circumstantial circumstances tin besides usher you successful your decision.

CNN: What astir children who conscionable turned 5 — should they get the caller booster?

Wen: I person a lad who precocious turned 5, and received his superior bid erstwhile helium was 4. His past changeable was successful July. I americium not readying to springiness him the booster yet. I’m waiting astatine slightest six months for the reasons mentioned above.

CNN: Can parents and caregivers take to springiness their kids a dose of the archetypal booster?

Wen: No. The US Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn its authorization for the archetypal monovalent vaccine and replaced it with the updated bivalent booster. That means you tin lone person the updated booster. That applies to children arsenic good arsenic adults.

CNN: If a kid has not been vaccinated yet, are they eligible for the updated booster?

Wen: No. Children who person not yet been vaccinated tin lone person the archetypal vaccine for their superior series. Parents who privation for their kids to get the updated bivalent vaccine person to implicit the superior bid — 2 doses of Pfizer oregon Moderna — and past get the updated booster.

I privation to stress the value of the superior series. Numerous studies person recovered that the archetypal 2 doses are highly protective against terrible illness, including successful kids. In 1 New England Journal of Medicine study, the archetypal 2 doses of the Pfizer oregon Moderna vaccines reduced hospitalization among children by much than 80%. This should beryllium a telephone to enactment for families who person not yet gotten their kids immoderate Covid-19 vaccines to get them the archetypal vaccination.