The European regulator has also specified that the doses of the two vaccines will be lower for the little ones.
Article written by
Published
Update
Reading time : 1 min.
The European regulator announced on Wednesday October 19 that it had given the green light to the use from the age of six months of anti-Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, the first to be authorized for children under five in Europe. EU. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has “recommended to include use in children aged 6 months to 4 years for Comirnaty”Pfizer, and “use in children 6 months to 5 years of age for Spikevax”, from Moderna, the European regulator said in a statement. In parallel, the EMA also recommended to authorize an adapted vaccine from Moderna targeting the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants in addition to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2.
The doses of the two vaccines for the youngest will be lower, explained the EMA. In children aged 6 months to 4 years, Comirnaty can be administered as a primary vaccination in three doses. In children aged 6 months to 5 years, Spikevax can be given as a primary vaccination in two doses. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) concluded that “the benefits of Comirnaty and Spikevax in children aged 6 months to 4 and 5 years, respectively, outweigh the risks”pointing out that side effects are usually mild or moderate and improve a few days after vaccination.
>> Covid-19 vaccines: five questions about the new generation that targets the Omicron variant
Moderna’s adapted vaccine targeting the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants is recommended for adults and children from the age of 12 who have already had a primary vaccination against Covid-19. The CHMP’s recommendations will now be forwarded to the European Commission, which will make final decisions applicable in all EU member states, the EMA said.