Covid Australia: Young children could soon get Moderna coronavirus vaccine

Children as young a six could soon be eligible for a Covid vaccine, as health take a step towards approving the Moderna jab.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration on Wednesday granted a ‘provisional determination’ to Moderna Australia in relation to its Covid-19 vaccine, Spikevax.

Currently, Moderna is provisionally approved for use in individuals aged 12 or older, and the US is the only place where even younger children are routinely vaccinated.

It is in stark contrast to countries including France and Sweden, which have stopped recommending Moderna to anyone under the age of 30.

In the UK, only those aged 12 and over are allowed a vaccine – similar to the current situation in Australia. 

The granting of the determination means Moderna can apply to vary the provisional approval for the vaccine for use in children aged under 12.

In making its decision, the TGA considered evidence of a plan to submit comprehensive clinical data in relation to use in children, the regulator said in a statement.

The TGA also considered infections in children and the impacts of Covid-19 in relation to children’s participation in school and sporting activities.

The granting of the determination means Moderna can apply to vary the provisional approval for the vaccine for use in children aged under 12 (Pictured: Children arriving at school in Melbourne) 

‘Moderna Australia has now submitted data for provisional approval and the TGA is assessing the use of SPIKEVAX in children six to 11 years old,’ it said.

Moderna has also submitted an application to the TGA in relation to the use of Spikevax as a booster dose.

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recently gave the all clear for children aged five to 11 receive the Pfizer vaccine. 

The country’s health authority now approves the use of Pfizer Bio-NTech for five to 17-year-olds. 

Moderna has also submitted an application to the TGA in relation to the use of Spikevax as a booster dose (Pictured: A nurse loading up injections of Moderna vaccine) 

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recently gave the all clear for children aged five to 11 receive the Pfizer vaccine, but hasn’t approved Moderna for children under 18 (Pictured: School kids in Melbourne)

In October, the TGA also announced that Pfizer had been granted a ‘provisional determination’ for the use of its vaccine in Australian children under 12. 

It also allowed Pfizer to be able to apply to vary the provisional approval for the use of vaccine in children aged 5 to 11. 

While the Pfizer vaccine is recommended for children in the US, the country hasn’t approved the use of the Moderna vaccine for five-year-olds to 18-year-olds. 

However, Moderna announced results on October 25 from a pivotal study in the use of its vaccine in children aged six to 12-years-old. 

Two doses of the vaccine were  ‘genuinely well tolerated and showed robust neutralising antibodies.’ 

Moderna announced results on October 25 from a pivotal study in the use of its vaccine in children aged six to 12-years-old and it showed positive results

‘We are encouraged by the immunogenicity and safety profile of mRNA-1273 in children aged 6 to under 12 years and are pleased that the study met its primary immunogenicity endpoints,’ Moderna chief executive Stéphane Bancel said in a statement.

‘We look forward to filing with regulators globally and remain committed to doing our part to help end the Covid-19 pandemic with a vaccine for adults and children of all ages.’

School children in Australia felt the brunt of Covid during the most recent outbreak, which saw schoolyards being a common transmission site for the virus. 

If The TGA approves the use of Moderna, school kids from Year 1 to Year 6 will be able to receive vaccine.