Australia rolls out Moderna covid vaccine for at risk children under five

Australia will now begin to use the Moderna covid vaccine for at risk children under five, as reported on Wednesday, August 3.

Australia’s approval to use the Moderna covid vaccine for at risk children under five was announced by Mark Butler, Australia’s Labor’s Minister for Health, who confirmed the purchasing of 500,000 Moderna vaccines specifically for a risk children aged between six months and five years old.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommended COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 6 months to five years “with severe immunocompromise, disability, and those who have complex and/or multiple health conditions which increase the risk of severe COVID-19.”

According to ATAGI, these include the following or similar conditions:

“Severe primary or secondary immunodeficiency, including those undergoing treatment for cancer, or on immunosuppressive treatments as listed in the ATAGI advice on 3rd primary doses of COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who are severely immunocompromised.”

“Bone marrow or stem cell transplant, or chimeric antigen T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. Complex congenital cardiac disease. Structural airway anomalies or chronic lung disease. Type 1 diabetes mellitus.”

“Chronic neurological or neuromuscular conditions or a disability that requires frequent assistance with activities of daily living, such as severe cerebral palsy or Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21).”

The current recommendation for the Moderna vaccine is for two doses with an interval of eight weeks, however it is recommended that children with the aforementioned conditions, are given three doses.

The news has seen mixed reactions on Twitter:

That's great. I believe that we should be following a vaccines plus strategy as advocated by independent epidemiologists in Australia. Please reduce transmission in child care and schools and workplaces. It will benefit everyone.

— Susan (@SusanLa69642683) August 3, 2022

Credit: Twitter @Mark_Butler_MP @sUSANlA69642683

It’s disgraceful. 😪 Australia wants to act like the US & UK & have everything open but won’t provide vaccines. Shame on ATAGI. Sack them all. Too slow. Incompetent.

— JaguarBeesOz- 💉💉💉💉💉Safe Clean Air Legislation (@bees_oz) August 3, 2022

Credit: Twitter @bees_oz @Paul_Karp @DarylTractor

🤣 hard to believe he hasn’t deleted this Tweet yet. How is all of the lockdowns, masking and forced vaccines working these days in Australia and New Zealand? pic.twitter.com/ceDdG3nEs1

— 🇺🇸 Conserv8320 🇺🇸 (@conserv8320) August 3, 2022

Credit: Twitter @yaneerbaryam @conserv8320

Does anyone know if @moderna_tx vaccination specifically for Omicron is available yet in Australia? #getvaccinated #getboosted#vaccines #COVID19 #CovidIsNotOver #auspol

— Peter Slipper 😷 (@PNSlipper) August 3, 2022

Credit: Twitter @PNSlipper

https://twitter.com/suzisant/status/1554705680879144960

Credit: Twitter @suzisant @chipfranklin

The news of Australia approving the Moderna covid vaccine for at risk children under five follows the Prime Minister of Spain announcing that 250 million HIPRA covid vaccines are set to be sold in a new European contract, as reported on Tuesday, August 2.

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