The Hawai‘i Department of Health has placed orders for updated COVID-19 bivalent vaccines that will be available for children as young as six months of age.

On Thursday, December 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization for keiki-sized vaccines.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently expanded the use of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines to include children ages six months through five years.

Children ages six months through five years who completed the two dose primary series of Moderna vaccines are eligible for a Moderna bivalent booster two months after their final primary series dose.  Those who received two of the three doses of Pfizer’s primary series will receive a Pfizer bivalent vaccine as their third primary dose. Children who completed all three doses of Pfizer’s primary series are not yet eligible for a bivalent booster.

Additional eligibility information from the FDA is available here.

“The authorization of these updated bivalent vaccines comes at a good time,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP in a press release. “Now young children can get the same protection adults have as families gather for the holidays.”

Initial orders of these updated keiki vaccines are expected to arrive early next week. Healthcare providers can administer them soon as they arrive.

For more information visit https://hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine/.