BRUSSELS, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Thursday it has authorized Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for children aged 6 to 11.
Marco Cavaleri, EMA's Head of Biological Health Threats and Vaccines Strategy, said at a press briefing that younger children will be given half the dose given to older children and adults.
He said research showed young children had an immune response comparable to that seen in older populations, as measured by the level of neutralizing antibodies against the coronavirus.
Cavaleri said the Moderna shot was also being recommended for use as a booster dose in people who had received other vaccines.
Children had previously been given the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which was the only vaccine EMA had approved for children aged five and over.
The EMA also on Thursday recommended booster shots of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for those aged 12 and over.
Cavaleri said data from countries, including Israel and the United States, covering over 400,000 children showed that a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in children aged 12 and over was "safe and effective." ■