HVHD COVID-19 Report

Update from Lisa Morrissey, Director of Health

On Thursday, May 19th, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP), CDC is expanding eligibility of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to everyone 5 years of age and older. CDC now recommends that children ages 5 through 11 years should receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series. 

Connecticut is seeing high transmission rates across the state. According to the CDC Community Tracker for the week of May 1, 2022, 4 counties are at a medium transmission rate while 1 county is at a high transmission rate.

Click here to check your county’s COVID-19 Community Level. 

Moderna has submitted a request for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 6 years of age. Pfizer is expected to submit a request for EUA for children under 5 years of age soon. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has tentatively scheduled some meeting dates to discuss the EUA submission(s). Currently FDA anticipates EUA and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendation with distribution of any new vaccine products sometime in June 2022.

Important Dates:

• June 7: EUA request for a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Novavax to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older.
• June 8, 21 and 22, the FDA has held dates for the VRBPAC to discuss updates to the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech EUAs for their COVID-19 vaccines to include younger populations. As the sponsors complete their submissions and the FDA reviews that data and information, it will provide additional details on scheduling of the VRBPAC meetings to discuss each EUA request.
• June 28: whether SARS-CoV-2 strain composition of COVID-19 vaccines should be modified, and if so, which strain(s) should be selected for Fall 2022. This meeting is a follow-up to the April 6 VRBPAC meeting that discussed general considerations for future COVID-19 vaccine booster doses and the strain composition of COVID-19 vaccines to further meet public health needs.

Click here to learn more.