The new kids’ COVID-19 vaccine approved by federal regulators last week is available at the Macomb County and Detroit health departments, and will be available at the Oakland County Health Division on Monday, though it could be later next week before shots arrive at some doctors’ offices, health officials said Friday.
The “bivalent” vaccine has been retooled to prevent infection by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants as well as the original version of the virus that causes COVID-19.
The federal Food and Drug Administration last week approved the Moderna bivalent formulation as a single dose booster for children six years of age or older, and the Pfizer/BioNTech bivalent for children five years old and up. The bivalent vaccines are to be administered at least two months after completion of the primary vacination series or a previous booster.
Also last week, an independent committee that advises the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prention on vaccine policies voted unanimously to recommend that COVID-19 vaccines be added to the CDC’s recommended vaccine schedules for adults, children and adolescents ― sparking controversy among vaccine skeptics, including in Michigan where Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey called it “criminal and blatant child abuse” in a Thursday night tweet.
Kate Guzman, a nurse and the administrator of medical services for Oakland County, noted Friday that the vaccines included on the list are not required. She said the COVID-19 shots had to be added to the series so low-income families can continue to receive them at no charge through the federal Vaccines for Children program after the pandemic ends.
Vaccines for Children is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay, according to the CDC website. Children enrolled in the program are entitled to receive vaccinations that are recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunizaton Practices.
“There are parents who read this and now think COVID-19 vaccines will now be mandated, but that is not the case,” Guzman said. “There are many benefits to having it on that schedule so that it will be part of the Vaccines for Children program.
“That means that when the federal supply of free vaccine is gone and we’re left to pay for COVID vaccines, children who are on Medicaid, children who are uninsured or underinsured, will still have access to free COVID vaccines because it’s part of that recommended schedule.”
The updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 years and older will be available at Oakland County Health Division clinics in Pontiac and Southfield beginning Monday, Oct. 24. Parents can visit oakgov.com/health/register or call the Oakland County Nurse on Call hotline at 800-848-5533 to make an appointment.
In Detroit, the vaccines is available at the Detroit Health Department at 100 Mack Ave., at the Northwest Activities Center at 18100 Meyers, and at Samaritan Center at 5555 Conner Street. Appointments can be self-scheduled online at www.detroitmi.gov/health or text “vaccine” to 313-329-7272.
Guzman said adults should also consider getting the adult bivalent booster that was approved by the FDA last month. She said only about 35% of adults nationally have received at least one booster, but participation has picked up now that the bivalent vaccine for adults has become available.
“There were people waiting for this new bivalent booster–they new that Omicron was the circulating variant, and didn’t feel that the previous booster was preventing the Omicron infection,” she said. “I know for a fact that there were a lot of people waiting for the bivalent booster.
“They can get both the flu and the COVID vaccine at the same time, at the same visit,” Guzman added. “That is a strategy to just kill two birds with one stone.
“The possibility of a co-infection with COVID and influenza would really lead to the more severe infection, so even people that would not normally get the flu vaccine, we’re really encouraging them to get that this year.”
kbouffard@detroitnews.com
