The medical regulator in Switzerland has authorised the use of the Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 for young people aged 12 to 17.
The Swiss medical regulator, Swissmedic, said that it reviewed the vaccine’s application for authorisation in adolescents, based on an ongoing study with 3.732 children.
Moderna’s vaccine, also known as Spikevax, was used in trials with children and produced a “similar immune response compared to young adults aged 10 to 25” according to the medical regulator. The children taking part in the study received the same dosage as for adults, and suffered the same side-effects as those seen in the already-vaccinated adult population.
The efficacy of the vaccine against the COVID-19 virus has been shown to be around 93%, and could help get children and teenagers in Switzerland back to school.
Spikevax is the second vaccine to have received approval from the Swissmedic. In June 2021, the regulator also approved the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for those aged between 12 and 15.
The Federal Office of Public Health and a government advisory committee have both recommended vaccinations for those over the age of 12, especially those who suffer from underlying health conditions that could make them more likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19.
Both groups also state that it is important for young people who live with clinically vulnerable parents or guardians to take up the offer of a vaccine, so as to prevent their loved ones becoming ill too.
Those under the age of 18 have been hit especially hard by the pandemic, since it has caused setbacks in their education with school closures, lockdown restrictions and the move towards online teaching during the height of the pandemic.
Many children now have to catch up with the work that they have missed during this difficult time, thus vaccinations could be the pathway to get schools back on track while keeping the rest of the population safe from the virus.