Australian adolescents could soon have access to COVID-19 vaccine Nuvaxovid after the national medical regulator provisionally approved its use for children aged between 12 and 17 years old.

The news, announced on Monday by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, follows provisional approvals for Nuvaxovid, made by Novavax, in adults in January.

Nuvaxovid is a protein-based vaccine. This type of vaccine contains part of the coronavirus spike protein.

Currently, adolescents aged 12 years and older can receive either the adult Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine or the Moderna jab.

Both Pfizer and Moderna are mRNA vaccines. This type of vaccine uses a genetic code called RNA to make your body’s cells produce the coronavirus’ spike protein.

The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (Vaxzevria) and Novavax’s Nuvaxovid are not currently registered for use in people under 18 years of age.

The next step is for the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation to give the green light for the Nuvaxovid vaccine to be used in adolescents.

They are expected to make a decision within weeks.

Australia’s death toll with the virus has now surpassed 11,000.

Seventy fatalities with COVID-19 were reported in NSW and Victoria alone in the latest data released on Tuesday.

LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:

Victoria: 12,339 cases, 40 deaths, 869 in hospital with 39 in ICU

NSW: 14,067 cases, 30 deaths, 2344 in hospital with 66 in ICU.

– AAP