US agency authorizes Covid vaccine for babies from 6 months

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized this Friday (17) the use of two vaccines against Covid-19 in children aged between six months and five years.

The decision still needs to be confirmed by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which is still evaluating the results of clinical trials. The expectation is that the endorsement comes out until this Saturday (18).

In Brazil, vaccination for this group is not yet approved, and children’s hospitals are already registering an increase in emergency room and hospitalization due to Covid.

According to the FDA, babies as young as six months can receive doses of the Moderna and Pfizer Covid vaccines. If approved by the CDC, immunization will begin next week, according to the AFP news agency.

According to FDA recommendations, the Moderna vaccine will be on a two-dose schedule, one month apart. Children and adolescents with immunosuppression can take the third dose one month after the second.

The Pfizer vaccine will be administered in a cycle of three injections: two with an interval of three weeks and the third two months after the second.

Vaccination coverage of children against Covid has been a challenge in the US. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was authorized for children ages five to 11 in October, but only 29% of that group is fully vaccinated so far, according to federal data. Brazil faces a similar challenge.

On Friday, FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf celebrated the approval of the vaccines for new groups, indicating that they are safe and will benefit many children.

“Many parents, caregivers and doctors are waiting for a vaccine for younger children, and this action will help protect children as young as six months of age. As we have seen with older age groups, we expect vaccines for younger children to provide protection against the most serious outcomes of Covid-19, such as hospitalization and death.”

According to the agency’s head, those responsible for the children “can have confidence in the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines against Covid-19 and can be confident that the agency has been thorough in its evaluation of the data”.

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