EU regulator okays use of Moderna vaccine for kids

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The European Medicines Agency has given its approval for the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine to inoculate children aged 12 to 17. The vaccine until now was allowed only for people above 18 years of age.</p>
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Countries producing vaccines, including India, are keen to pave the way for vaccinating children so that schools can be reopened safely to restore normal life after the massive disruption due to the pandemic.</p>
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The EU drug regulator said on Friday that research in more than 3,700 children aged 12 to 17 showed that the Moderna vaccine aniti-body response was comparable  to that on adults for whom it has already been approved, according to an AP report from London.</p>
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Moderna will now be the second vaccine against Covid-19 to become available for children after  Pfizer which until now was the only option for children in North America and Europe.</p>
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<strong>Also read:</strong>  <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/health-news/zydus-seeks-govt-nod-for-use-of-new-india-made-vaccine-as-trials-have-been-completed-99201.html">Zydus seeks govt nod for use of new India-made vaccine as trials have been completed</a></p>
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently considering whether to extend the use of the Moderna vaccine to the same age group.</p>
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Both Pfizer and Moderna have begun testing in even younger children, from age 11 down to 6-month-old babies. These studies are more complex: Teens receive the same dose as adults, but researchers are testing smaller doses in younger children. The first results from elementary school-aged children are expected in September.</p>
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The EU drug regulator said it would continue to monitor the safety and efficacy of the Moderna vaccine in children as it is used in European member countries.</p>
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<strong>India eyes Sept date</strong></p>
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In India, vaccines for children are expected to be made available by September.  Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech are the two companies that will rolling out the vaccines for use in children in order to pave the way for reopening schools and bringing life back to normal.</p>
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<strong>Also read:</strong>  <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/health-news/schools-should-be-reopened-says-aiims-chief-103271.html">Schools should be reopened, says AIIMS chief</a></p>
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Indian pharma major Zydus Cadila has applied for emergency use approval of its COVID-19 vaccine and plans to manufacture up to 120 million doses of the shot annually.</p>
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ZyCoV-D showed safety and efficacy in a late-stage trial with more than 28,000 volunteers across the country, including about 1,000 subjects in the 12-18 year age group, Zydus said.</p>
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The study was carried out "during the peak of the second wave of COVID-19 in India, reaffirming the vaccine's efficacy against the new mutant strains, especially the Delta variant," Zydus has informed the stock exchanges.</p>
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Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, had got the government’s go-ahead for phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in children and teenagers aged between 12 to 18 years. The trials have been taking place since June among volunteers at various hospitals, including AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Patna and Meditrina Institute of Medical Sciences in Nagpur. The vaccine trials are also being extended to the 6 to 12 years age group.</p>