In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, children ages five to 11 can now receive COVID-19 booster shots. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation began offering booster shots to this age group on May 23. Previously, only individuals age 12 and older were eligible for booster doses.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized booster shots for five-to-11-year-olds last week. The expansion makes children in this age group eligible for a third Pfizer-BioNTech shot five months after receiving their first two shots.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending booster shots for all children ages five to 11, saying that over 15,000 children in the U.S. have been hospitalized from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, and over 180 children have died from the virus.
YKHC is encouraging everyone age five and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to remain up-to-date with their booster doses.