Health Care — Toddlers and infants are now eligible for bivalent booster

You may be cool, but do you have a license to own a unicorn like this lucky Los Angeles girl?

Today in health, the FDA has expanded its emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 bivalent shots to include children as young as 6 months old. 

Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Subscribe here or in the box below.

Bivalent booster OKed for kids 6 months and older

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday announced it has expanded the emergency use authorization for the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to include children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years.

• Children older than 6 months who have received the primary two-dose coronavirus vaccines from Moderna are now eligible to receive the bivalent booster designed to protect against omicron subvariants of the virus.
• Kids who have not yet started on the primary series of Pfizer’s original coronavirus vaccines, which is administered in three doses for this younger age range, or have not yet received the final third dose, are also eligible for the bivalent shot.

“As this virus has changed, and immunity from previous COVID-19 vaccination wanes, the more people who keep up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, the more benefit there will be for individuals, families and public health by helping prevent severe illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a statement.

According to the most up-to-date federal data, the BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 omicron subvariants are the two most common forms of the coronavirus circulating in the U.S. right now, collectively accounting for more than 60 percent of cases. 

The bivalent shots are expected to still be effective against these strains, as they descend from the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants. 

Read more here. 

Senate Dems introduce bill funding travel for abortion

Senate Democrats on Thursday introduced a bill that would help fund expenses for women who need to travel to undergo abortion procedures. 

Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Patty Murray (D-Wa.) are introducing the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act. The bill would authorize $350 million annually in grants over the next five years for organizations and abortion funds to help cover the cost of patients’ travel for the procedure.  

• “Right now in states across the country, Americans are unable to make their own health care decisions,” said Baldwin in a statement.
• “Women in states like Wisconsin are being forced to travel out of state just to see a doctor for critical health care, including abortion. And for too many, the cost of travel, child care, overnight housing, and time away from work puts safe, comprehensive reproductive care totally out of…