Washington’s youngest kids can now get an updated Covid-19 booster

Kids under 5 are now able to get an updated Covid-19 booster shot in Washington state.

Federal regulators approved the omicron-specific shots for young kids last week, and providers in the state started receiving doses Monday.

Michele Roberts with the state Department of Health said Tuesday that kids 6 months and up are becoming eligible for the booster at a crucial time.

"Our hospital systems in Washington state are being overwhelmed with pediatric cases of many respiratory illnesses," Roberts said. "Having updated protection against Covid-19 is an essential step towards keeping our kids out of the hospitals and our community safe.”

Last month, children’s hospitals across the state were seeing an unprecedented influx of young patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Public health officials say RSV cases appear to have peaked in the state and are now leveling off, but flu and Covid-19 cases continue to rise in various age groups.

As of earlier this week, 71,700 doses of the updated boosters for kids 6 months and up had been ordered in Washington state, according to the state Department of Health. More than 60,000 of those doses had been delivered to providers.

Providers will continue to receive more doses in the coming weeks as the state is allocated more inventory.

Eligibility for the updated boosted differs slightly for state’s youngest kids, compared to other age groups, like no mixing and matching.

According to the state Department of Health, the criteria include:

• Children 6 months through 5 years of age who received the two-dose Moderna Covid-19 vaccine series are now eligible to receive a booster of the updated Moderna Covid-19 vaccine two months after their last dose.

• Children 6 months through 4 years of age who have not started or completed their three-dose Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine series will now receive the updated Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 booster as the third dose following two doses of the original vaccine.

• Children 6 months through 4 years of age who have already completed their three-dose primary series with the original Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine are not eligible for an updated booster dose at this time.

To get more information or book a vaccine appointment for a child, people can speak with their health-care provider, or visit state and county websites.

According to Public Health – Seattle & King County, the updated boosters will be available for kids at public health sites in Auburn and Eastgate this weekend. Find out more here.

According to state data, uptake of the omicron-specific Covid-19 booster continues to lag. Under 27 percent of those 5 and older have had the shots, with the lowest rates among teens.