KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which announced an expansion of its Kalamazoo facility on Monday, also asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize its updated COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of five.

The company wants it as part of their initial shots, not a booster.

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Children ages 6 months through 4 years already are supposed to get three extra-small doses of the original Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as their primary series. If the FDA agrees, a dose of Pfizer’s bivalent omicron-targeting vaccine would be substituted for their third shot.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said Monday the change may help prevent severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19 in small kids. They note the approval would come at a time when RSV hospitalizations are increasing.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows 2% of children under 2 and about 4% of 2- to 4-year-olds have received primary doses so far.