The US Food and Drug Administration announced today (June 17) that it has amended emergency use authorizations for both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to include children as young as six months old.
“Many parents, caregivers, and clinicians have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children and this action will help protect those down to six months of age,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf says in the agency’s news release.
The FDA’s announcement comes days after an independent advisory committee of health experts voted 21 to 0 to expand vaccine access, reports The Wall Street Journal. Prior to the FDA’s action today, use of the Moderna vaccine was restricted to adults aged 18 years and older, while the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had been authorized for kids who are 5 years of age and older, the agency says in its release. Now, everyone aged six months and older will be eligible for ...
