New Bivalent COVID-19 booster for kids? Has anyone's kids had it? (flu shot, health issues)

[Roselvr]

My grandson, age 9 wants a COVID vaccine. He had omicron in January, said he doesn't want to get sick again. What brought it on is he's currently having symptoms, got tested yesterday.

I just did a google search to see if kids can have this booster, looks like they can. He has not had any COVID vaccines yet. It looks like he will have to get the regular Pfizer vaccine series first, then the booster two months later. Unfortunately, only Pfizer is recommended for kids so there is no choice. My daughter has not vaccinated either, she won't let him get one without her getting one, so they'd both go.

Curious who's had their kid boosted, how old and how did it go?

Also did your kid already have a COVID vaccine or did they just give the booster? It would be nice if we could just get the booster. It's going to take months to get the booster if he has to do the whole series first. My daughter will have to decide if she still wants to do this, she's not nuts about the Pfizer vaccines or she would have gotten them already. She really hoped J&J would get authorized for kids but it has not.

Anyway, I'm still curious how kids are doing with the booster. We don't have a thread dedicated to kids yet that I could find.



Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Authorizes Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines for Use as a Booster Dose in Younger Age Groups

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent to authorize their use as a single booster dose in younger age groups. The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is authorized for administration at least two months following completion of primary or booster vaccination in children down to six years of age. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent is authorized for administration at least two months following completion of primary or booster vaccination in children down to five years of age.

These bivalent COVID-19 vaccines include an mRNA component of the original strain to provide an immune response that is broadly protective against COVID-19 and an mRNA component in common between the omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5 lineages to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant. The mRNA in these vaccines is a specific piece of genetic material that instructs cells in the body to make the distinctive “spike” protein of the original virus strain and the omicron variant lineages BA.4 and BA.5. The spike proteins of BA.4 and BA.5 are identical.

[mustangman66]

Sounds like you are a pro Covid vaccine family so there is very little anyone can tell you to sway that opinion unfortunately. My kids will never be vaccinated not only due to the information we have reviewed but also due to the side effects we have seen within our group of family and friends. Just not worth the risk in our opinion and my kids have had Covid several times (we assume anyway based on (mod cut. Vaccine debates not allowed)0

[Texas Ag 93]

Everyone in my family, including my teen and tween, are vaccinated and boosted. I've had the second booster as well although the kids have not (they didn't have the bivalent boosters). Both the kids and DH have had only Pfizer shots, I've had Moderna. None of us reacted poorly to the boosters at all. The initial shots gave us mild (though certainly irritating) side effects that lasted 24-48 hours. The boosters, much less in the way of reaction.

We're not supposed to be engaging in vaccine debates on this particular forum, but I will say that I have absolutely no reservations or concerns about being vaccinated or getting the kids vaccinated. I believe vaccination is the best way to avoid hospitalization and serious illness. I also believe that for the vast majority of young and healthy individuals in a low risk profile, including kids, vaccinations should be voluntary only, and not mandatory.

[D217]

The vaccines are not recommended for anyone under 50 at this time - please be mindful with your children/grandchildren.

[mustangman66]

Originally Posted by luckyme609

Are your kids vaccinated at all?

They are vaccinated, but have not received the Covid vaccine.

[skimbro000]

My grandchildren ages 6 and 10 will be getting it. However, they got their first booster in early August when school started back. Their mom is going to wait until early next year for this booster.

[mustangman66]

Originally Posted by sholomar

I don't disagree with you on giving them to children. I personally think the vaccine doses overall are too high and that they would be better off being half doses in all age groups twice as often to reduce incidents of inflammation. I'd go in every 4-6 months for a half dose booster that doesn't make me feel like I have to spend an entire day in bed, but rather just a sore arm, like the flu shot. Nobody under age 18 really needs this vaccine. There was a lot of fear driven response on both sides during the pandemic.


We still don't have options for other types of vaccines. The Novavax was approved as a booster today, but not a version that combines the new variants.

I feel like everyone has different experiences with Covid and one of the reasons why its hard for me to base my opinion off of what we are told vs what I have seen. There are many friends and family that do go out and get their booster when available and these are the same people that have always been extra cautious, ironically, they are the ones that seem to have come down with Covid more so than my unvaccinated friends. Out of those I know who have been vaccinated; 3 of them started having heart issues within weeks of each other and these same people have never had any heart issues before, it was only after the vaccine that this occurred. Also, my wife since being vaccinated gets her period twice a month now. The nurse at the doctors office said they have been having a lot more cases of this lately. We certainly do not want to give this to out 13 year old daughter and have this effect her the same way.

If we did have a family with health issues though and their health would be compromised if they got Covid, we would certainly take a look and see if the vaccination outweighed the risks, and if so, which one to receive.

[Roselvr]

Originally Posted by mustangman66

I feel like everyone has different experiences with Covid and one of the reasons why its hard for me to base my opinion off of what we are told vs what I have seen. There are many friends and family that do go out and get their booster when available and these are the same people that have always been extra cautious, ironically, they are the ones that seem to have come down with Covid more so than my unvaccinated friends. Out of those I know who have been vaccinated; 3 of them started having heart issues within weeks of each other and these same people have never had any heart issues before, it was only after the vaccine that this occurred. Also, my wife since being vaccinated gets her period twice a month now. The nurse at the doctors office said they have been having a lot more cases of this lately. We certainly do not want to give this to out 13 year old daughter and have this effect her the same way.

If we did have a family with health issues though and their health would be compromised if they got Covid, we would certainly take a look and see if the vaccination outweighed the risks, and if so, which one to receive.

That was big news at one time but it got hushed up. How long ago did your wife get the vaccine? It was supposed to be temporary.

I wouldn't give it to a 13 year old girl either due to that side effect. It may keep her out of school.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by Roselvr

That was big news at one time but it got hushed up. How long ago did your wife get the vaccine? It was supposed to be temporary.

I wouldn't give it to a 13 year old girl either due to that side effect. It may keep her out of school.

I read that too, and I certainly think it's plausible that there may be some validity to those reports. It should be further investigated, particularly in women under 40. My periods are irregular since I got the Covid shot. The last few months, I've had periods starting at Day 24, but only Day 19 before that. The month before, it was Day 57.

Should I assume that's likely due to the fact I've had 4 Covid vaccinations or the fact that I'm 51? How old is mustang's wife? In her mid 40's or older? Usually the simplest answer is the right one.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by D217

The vaccines are not recommended for anyone under 50 at this time - please be mindful with your children/grandchildren.

?

The Pfizer booster is recommended for 12 and up, Moderna 18 and up.

My 24 year old daughter got the Pfizer booster a couple weeks ago.