London: The European medicine watchdog on Friday approved the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 17.
This makes it a second jab for teenagers to use on the continent.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA), using the brand name of Moderna, said, “The use of the Spikevax vaccine in children 12 to 17 years of age will be the same as for those 18 years of age and older.”
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The vaccine, approved by the Amsterdam-based agency, will be given in two injections, each at intervals of four weeks.
The decision comes after Pfizer/BioNtech approved the first vaccine for European youth earlier in May.
The European Medicines Agency said the effects of Spikewax have been studied in 3,732 children aged 12 to 17 years.
“The study showed that SpikeVax produced a comparable antibody response in children aged 12 to 17 years, to that seen in young adults aged 18 to 25 years,” AFP was quoted by the European Medicines Agency as saying.
It uses genetic material to instruct human cells to make the coronavirus’s spike protein, training the host to have an immune response without actual infection.
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The European Union said earlier on Thursday that 200 million Europeans have been fully vaccinated, more than half of the adult population.
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