A coronavirus vaccine is now available to nearly 2 million children aged 6-12 months.
Canada’s drug regulator has approved Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, the first jab to receive authorization for the young age group.
On Thursday, the Public Health Agency of Canada made public its decision. It approved two doses of vaccines for children aged six months to five years. “after a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence.”
A National Advisory Committee on Immunization suggested that children receive a lower dose of Moderna shots than the adults. This was based on phase 3 results.
It is recommended that the vaccines be given eight weeks apart for people with current virus infection. However, immunocompromised patients may receive doses every four weeks.
Although the agency recognized “most children”Covid-19 is available to those who have contracted it. “no or mild symptoms,”The report noted: “some, including previously healthy children, can get very ill and require hospitalization,”Vaccination could help to avoid these outcomes.
Health Canada cautioned that due to a lack of long-term data for the vaccine, there is currently little information about serious side effects such as myocarditis – a potentially lethal heart condition seen in some older recipients – for the age group. It said it had not seen any severe adverse reactions during Moderna’s trials, however.
The United States approved the use of Pfizer and Moderna’s coronavirus shots for the same 6 month to 5 year age group last month, and has since inoculated some 267,000 kids as of July 8, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
READ MORE
White House sets date for Covid vaccinations of infants
This story can be shared on social media
[ad_2]
