Vietnam approves Moderna COVID vaccine for ages six to under-12

280

HANOI (BERNAMA) – Vietnam’s health authorities expanded emergency use authorisation for Moderna Covid-19 vaccine (Spikevax) to include children from six to under 12.

The dosage will be 0.25 millilitres, or half of the dosage for adults, according to Vietnam news agency VNA citing the Drug Administration of Vietnam.

The amendment to the original approval of the vaccine is based on the request and subsequent data submission from Zuellig Pharma Vietnam, which distributes the COVID-19 vaccines in the Asian region, it said.

The primary vaccination course is two doses, with the interval between the two shots set at
four weeks. Previously, the Health Ministry approved Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines (Comirnaty) for use in children aged five to 11.

Vietnam is set to start vaccinating children in the five to 11 age range on the second week of April, with the first batch of vaccines (both Pfizer and Moderna’s) slated to be delivered as aid from Australia in the coming days.

As of March 27, the ministry said they received 227.8 million Covid-19 vaccines, including over 14 million doses of Moderna, all of which were donations from other countries or through COVAX, it added.

Vials of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. PHOTO: THE STAR