Home » Health » USA: Experts advise authorizing the Moderna vaccine among children and adolescents – ContraRéplicaPuebla

USA: Experts advise authorizing the Moderna vaccine among children and adolescents – ContraRéplicaPuebla

A US advisory committee ruled in favor of the authorization in the United States of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine in children and adolescents between 6 and 17 years of age.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to give the green light but is likely to follow the committee’s advice.

Until now, the Moderna vaccine has only been authorized for adults over 18 years of age in the United States, contrary to what is already done in other countries.

Currently, young Americans can only get the Pfizer vaccine.

“I think this will give families an important choice,” Dr. Ofer Levy, a member of the committee, added after a day of public discussion.

The vaccination rate among minors is much lower than that recorded among adults.

For adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age, the dose is the same as for adults (100 micrograms) while for children between 6 and 11 years of age it is reduced by half (50 micrograms).

The 22 independent experts on the committee voted unanimously in favor of this authorization.

But some regret that a third dose is not authorized, because the protection of the vaccines is less effective since the appearance of the omicron variant.

U.S. health authorities have waited until now to consider Moderna’s vaccine for adolescents due, in particular, to concerns about the risk of myocarditis, a type of inflammation of the heart muscle.

An increased risk has been found after injection of messenger RNA vaccines, such as those from Pfizer and Moderna, especially among boys. According to experts, the benefits outweigh the risks.

“I agree with the FDA’s conclusion that Moderna’s 100 micrograms is unlikely to present a clear increased risk compared to Pfizer,” committee member Amanda Cohn said Tuesday.

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