Doctors have welcomed the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as six months old.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved the Moderna vaccine for use in children aged six months to five years for the next two years.
The use of the vaccine in the national COVID-19 vaccination program is still to be determined and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is expected to provide advice to the Government.
Professor Paul Griffin, director of Infectious Diseases at Mater Health Services and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Queensland, said the approval was based on clinical trial data from over 6000 children in this age group in the US and Canada.
“Data generated from this trial demonstrated a favourable safety profile and an immune response similar to that seen in young adults,” Professor Griffin said.
“While rates of more significant disease are fortunately relatively less in this group, having an option to be able to protect those who want to be protected, or perhaps have an increased risk for whatever reason, is another positive step forward.”