WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced expanded approval for Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shot.

Now, children ages 5-11 are now eligible for the COVID-19 booster shot made by Pfizer-BioNTech and which is recommended at least five months after the initial two-dose series of the vaccine.

The recommendation still requires approval by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is expected to come later this week.

“While it has largely been the case that COVID-19 tends to be less severe in children than adults, the omicron wave has seen more kids getting sick with the disease and being hospitalized, and children may also experience longer term effects, even following initially mild disease,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said. “The FDA is authorizing the use of a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 5-11 years of age to provide continued protection against COVID-19. Vaccination continues to be the most effective way to prevent COVID-19 and its severe consequences, and it is safe. If your child is eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and has not yet received their primary series, getting them vaccinated can help protect them from the potentially severe consequences that can occur, such as hospitalization and death.”

Pfizer’s shot is the only vaccine available for children in the U.S. and children ages 5-11 receive just one-third of the dose given to those 12 and older.

Anyone interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot can visit www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/resources/covid-19-vaccine to find vaccine locations in their area.