On May 20, 2022, the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health sent Health Advisory #196 to health care providers, hospitals and other health care facilities in the state. Local health departments passed it on to community providers, hospital doctors, infection control staff and lab directors.
Booster for children 5 to 11
The CDC had endorsed a recommendation from its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on May 19, 2022. Under it, children 5 to 11 years old should get a COVID-19 booster at least five months after their primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine.
- ACIP data from other age groups showed that boosters increased protection in people 12 and older. ACIP said children 5 to 11 would likely also benefit.
- A booster could restore protection that had waned, and reduce infection and severe disease in this age group.
- The advisory said myocarditis after a booster dose was less common than after the second dose of the primary series, at each age.
- Cases were rising across West Virginia at that time.
The pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine came in a multiple-dose vial with an orange cap and a label with an orange border. Providers had to review the updated emergency use fact sheet before they gave the vaccine, and give parents the fact sheet for recipients and caregivers.
Second booster for some adults
The advisory also said the CDC now recommended a second booster, at least four months after the first booster, for:
- people 12 and older with a weakened immune system
- people 50 and older
The advisory pointed people to the state COVID-19 Vaccination Due Date Calculator, a free online tool that showed when a person was due for a shot.
See also Health Advisory #180 on the first Pfizer booster, Health Advisory #197, Health Advisory #200 and First COVID-19 vaccinations for 5 to 11 year olds.
This guidance is from May 2022. It is kept here as a record and is not current advice. Check current COVID-19 vaccine guidance from the CDC or your child’s doctor.