FDA clears updated COVID-19 vaccines for kids under age 5

U.S. regulators on Thursday cleared doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than age 5.

The Food and Drug Administration's decision aims to better protect the littlest kids from severe COVID-19 at a time when children’s hospitals already are packed with tots suffering from a variety of respiratory illnesses.

Omicron-targeted booster shots made by Moderna and rival Pfizer already were open to everyone 5 and older.

The FDA now has cleared their use in tots starting at age 6 months -- but just who is eligible depends on what vaccinations they’ve already had, and which kind. Few youngsters have gotten the full primary series since shots for the littlest kids began in June.