MODERNA IS SAFE FOR AGES 12 TO 17

REGULATOR AUTHORISES VACCINE AS COVID DEATHS HIGHEST SINCE END OF MARCH

THE Moderna vaccine has been approved as ‘ safe and effective’ for young people aged 12 to 17.

The ruling could help ensure enough jabs are available if the government decides to inject more children amid concern over rising cases and deaths.

Only the Pfizer vaccine had been previously approved for all in the age group and the UK has signed contracts for 17million doses of Moderna.

But the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has yet to advise the government that children under-16 should routinely be included in the jabs rollout.

Dr June Raine, boss of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory

Agency, said: ‘I am pleased to confirm that the Covid-19 vaccine made by Moderna has now been authorised in 12- to 17-year-olds. The vaccine is safe and effective in this age group.

‘We have in place a comprehensive safety surveillance strategy for monitoring the safety of all UK-approved Covid-19 vaccines and this surveillance will include the 12- to 17-year age group.’

All teenagers aged 16 and 17 were already due to be offered a vaccine by Monday (August 23), which health secretary Sajid Javid said would give them ‘vital protection’ before the autumn term starts at sixth forms and colleges.

Meanwhile, a further 170 Covid deaths were reported yesterday, up from 146 the previous Tuesday.

And there were 26,852 new cases, compared with 23,510 a week earlier.

Separate figures showed Covid was mentioned on one in 20 death certificates in the week ending August 6 – up 30 per cent on the week before and the highest proportion since late March. It reflects the impact of the third wave, which began in May and led to a sharp increase in new cases as well as a smaller rise in hospital patients.

However, there have been far fewer deaths than during the second wave – reflecting the success of the vaccines rollout that is estimated to have saved up to 87,800 lives in England.

The highest number of deaths on a single day was 1,484 on January 19. During the first wave, the daily toll peaked at 1,461 deaths on April 8, 2020.

Overall, 156,307 deaths have occurred where Covid-19 was mentioned on the certificate, the ONS said.

That is higher than the government’s running total of 131,149 – based on fatalities occurring within 28 days of a positive test.