Both the vaccine from the manufacturers BioNTech and Pfizer and the preparation from Moderna could be used for around 18 million small children, the experts decided on Saturday, according to US media reports. This means that nothing stands in the way of vaccination in the age group after the formal signing by CDC boss Rochelle Walensky. According to the US government, it could start on June 21st.
US President Joe Biden called the decision a “huge step forward in our country’s fight against the virus.” This is a day of relief for parents in the country. In the coming week, they could start making appointments in pediatric surgeries, children’s hospitals and pharmacies for vaccinations.
BioNTech/Pfizer’s vaccine is currently approved in the United States for children ages five to 11, and Moderna’s vaccine for people ages 18 and older. On Tuesday, however, the FDA advisory committee had already spoken out in favor of approving Moderna’s vaccine for children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 17.
There is currently no corona vaccine approved for very young children in the EU. The European Medicines Agency EMA in Amsterdam is currently examining whether the vaccine from the manufacturer Moderna (Spikevax) can also be approved for children under the age of six. Such a test has not yet started for the vaccine from the manufacturers BioNTech and Pfizer. According to the EMA, the manufacturers have not yet submitted a corresponding application for an extension of the approval.
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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX)
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