Pfizer and Moderna are both seeking emergency use authorization for their bivalent COVID boosters for children.
According to Reuters,[2] “the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ... expects COVID-19 vaccine boosters targeting circulating variants of the virus to be available for children aged 5-11 years by mid-October.”
Moderna’s new bivalent COVID booster, mRNA-1273.222, sold under the brand name “Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron,” was authorized for adults over the age of 18 at the end of August 2022.[3]
In the U.S., the adult dose contains 25 micrograms of mRNA against the original Wuhan strain and 25 mcg of mRNA targeting Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5.[4] In the U.K., Moderna’s bivalent booster (mRNA-1273.214[5]) contains mRNA against the original Wuhan strain and BA.1,[6] an earlier Omicron strain that is no longer in circulation.[7][8]
Pfizer’s bivalent booster also contain mRNA against the Wuhan strain, BA.4 and BA.5. The two bivalent boosters are only be available to those who have already received the primary two-dose series and/or a monovalent booster at least two months ago.[9]
It’s really important to realize that these bivalent boosters have been reformulated with new, untested mRNA, yet they’ve only been tested on mice. Despite that, the FDA is now considering giving them to young children.
The effectiveness of Pfizer’s booster is based on antibody levels in eight mice,[13] which cannot tell you anything about the level of protection you might receive. Moderna’s booster is also based on antibody levels in mice, although the exact number is unknown.
When it comes to safety, there’s not even mouse data. The safety is assumed based on the original shots, even though the safety data on those is shocking beyond belief. In the short-term, the original COVID shots have between them resulted in 1,417,671 adverse event reports (logged with the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System or VAERS as of September 16, 2022[14]).
That includes 177,973 hospitalizations, 58,024 permanent disabilities, 34,107 life threatening events and 31,071 deaths. For children under the age of 18 alone, there are 55,733 reports of injuries and deaths.
If that’s not cause for alarm, I don’t know what is. It’s certainly not “strong evidence” for safety! What’s more, due to widespread underreporting, you have to multiply those already staggering numbers by underreporting factor of 41 (or more) to get an idea of the true impact.