UK approves Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6-11

LONDON

Britain’s medicines regulator approved on Thursday Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for use by children aged between 6 and 11.

Following its approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the vaccine will still need to be approved by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation before actually being used.

The Moderna vaccine is known as Spikevax and has already been approved for use by children aged over 12.

Dr. June Raine, chief executive of the UK medicines regulator, said: “The vaccine is safe and effective in this age group. We have in place a comprehensive surveillance strategy for monitoring the safety of all UK-approved COVID-19 vaccines and this surveillance includes those aged 6 to 11.”

Earlier in the day, the regulator approved Valneva’s COVID-19 vaccine for adults aged up to 50.

The French firm’s vaccine is notable as it is easy to store, needing only a conventional fridge, and as it relies on the traditional approach of using an inactivated whole coronavirus, as opposed to the newer mRNA technology the Pfizer and Moderna use.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “The independent medicines regulator has approved Valneva’s Covid vaccine for use in adults aged 18 to 50 after it met robust standards of safety.

“This is the third vaccine approved by regulators in which the clinical trials took place in the UK – showcasing the strength of our incredible research sector. The UK continues to have sufficient supply for its vaccination programme.”