COVID jabs being evaluated for infants as young as six months
Approval of the micro-dose Moderna jab could soon be available to protect infants as young as six months. Photo: AAP
A COVID-19 vaccine for babies and toddlers is another step closer after Australian regulators confirmed they are evaluating a low dose of Moderna’s Spikevax.
There are currently no COVID-19 vaccines approved for children under four, with kids aged five and over given the Pfizer jab.
Spikevax is available for children over six and Moderna Australia has applied to the Therapeutic Goods Administration to extend it to younger children.
The TGA on Friday confirmed it is assessing using a low dose of Spikevax, 25 micrograms in 0.25ml, for children aged between six-months and five-years-old.
That is below the 50 micrograms in 0.25ml measurement that is currently used for children aged six to 11.
Spikevax, an mRNA vaccine, uses a genetic code to enable the production of the coronavirus spike protein.
Immune cells then recognise the spike protein as foreign and begin building an immune response against it.
-AAP
LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:
- NSW: 10,954 cases, 19 deaths, 1377 in hospital, 58 in ICU
- VIC: 12,160 new cases, 22 deaths, 524 in hospital, 24 in ICU
