Children now eligible for updated COVID-19 booster in North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) - Children and teens five and older can now receive the updated COVID-19 booster, specifically made to protect against the latest COVID-19 variants.

The new booster is becoming available in North Carolina following the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation.

“Kids 5 and older can now get the most up-to-date protection from COVID-19 from an updated booster to help renew their body’s defenses against the latest variants of the virus this fall and winter,” said North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “Children are vulnerable to COVID-19 and long-term complications just like everyone else. Staying up to date on vaccines and boosters is the best way to protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death from the virus.”

Everyone 5 and older should get the updated COVID-19 booster two months after they finish their primary series or any booster dose. Children and teens 5 and older may be able to get the updated COVID-19 booster and other routine vaccines they are due for at the same visit, including during routine checkups. The booster, like all COVID-19 vaccines, is safe to get alongside the annual flu shot.

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