EU okays Moderna Covid jab for kids

European regulator EMA approves the use of Spikevax on children in the age group of 12-17 years

WASHINGTON/GENEVA: Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine could become the second shot okayed for adolescent use in the European Union after regulators on Friday recommended approving it for 12 to 17-year-olds.

Use of the vaccine, Spikevax, will be the same in adolescents as in people over 18, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said, adding the shot produced a comparable antibody response to that seen in 18 to 25-year-olds.

Vaccinating children has been considered important for reaching herd immunity and in light of the highly contagious Delta variant. Moderna in May said its vaccine was found to be safe and effective in teenagers.

The EMA said the two-dose vaccine is given four weeks apart, and its human medicines committee’s recommendation was based on a study of 3,732 participants.

WHO asks govts to come together for virus probe

The World Health Organization (WHO) called on Friday for all countries to work together to investigate the origin of the coronavirus that caused Covid-19, a day after China rejected plans for more checks on labs and markets in its territory.

The WHO has proposed a follow-up to earlier investigations in China. But Zeng Yixin, vice minister of China’s national health commission, said Beijing won’t accept the latest proposal as it stood.

Asked about China’s rejection, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said, “This is not about politics, it’s not about a blame game... Countries have the responsibility to work together and to work with the WHO.”

In the UK, Public Health England issued a warning of an increased risk of catching the Delta variant even if someone has had Covid-19 before.