NEW YORK – An expert panel supported the option of a second COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 to 17 on Thursday.
Advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously to recommend the Moderna injection as an option for school-age children and adolescents. This group was able to get the photos taken by Pfizer since last year.
Panel recommendations are often adopted by the CDC and become government guidelines for U.S. physicians and their patients.
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the injections – a full dose for children 12 to 17 years old and a half dose for children 6 to 11. The doses will be given about an hour apart. month.
The FDA also allows a third dose for children with significantly weakened immune systems, given about a month after the second dose of the main series. The CDC is expected to recommend the same thing.
Moderna officials said they expected to later offer the booster program to all children ages 6 to 17.
It’s not clear what the demand for the photos will be like. A year ago, teens who were eligible for the Pfizer vaccine used similar technology, and only 60 percent had two doses. Shooting for young children begins in November; About 29% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
Read more: Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines authorized for children 6 months and older
More than 600 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in children ages 5 to 17 in the United States. Health officials have also voiced concern about an increased risk of long-term health problems in children. after infectionsuch as diabetes or problems with smell or taste.
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