On June 17, 2022, the U.S. FDA authorized the Moderna pediatric vaccine for children 6 to 11 years old under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), meaning the vaccine was proven safe and effective for this age group. This vaccine is a two-dose series, and the doses should be administered four weeks apart. Each dose is 50 mcg, one half of the dose approved for adults. In the FDA analysis, the immune response of the children to the vaccine was comparable to the immune response of the adults. See the U.S. FDA fact sheet for more information.

The CDC recommends people 5 and older receive an age-appropriate, updated mRNA booster dose if at least 2 months have passed since their primary series or since their most recent booster dose. The updated Pfizer-BioNTech booster for people is available for people 5 and older, and the updated Moderna booster is available for people 6 and older. Pfizer’s bivalent booster for children 5 to 11 years is 10 mcg, one third of the adult bivalent booster dosage. Moderna’s bivalent booster for children 6 to 11 years is 25 mcg, one half of the adult bivalent booster dosage.