EU watchdog okays Moderna Covid jab for children 6 to 11 – latest updates

Thursday, February 24, 2022

EU watchdog approves Moderna Covid jab for children 6 to 11

The European Union's drug watchdog has approved Moderna's anti-Covid shot for children aged six to 11, the second vaccine to be approved for younger children in the 27-member bloc.

"The EMA's human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended granting an extension of indication for the Covid-19 vaccine Spikevax to include use in children aged 6 to 11," the Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency said in a statement.

The jab, developed by US-based pharmaceutical company Moderna, has already been approved for adults and children aged 12 and above.

Pfizer/BionTech's anti-Covid shot called Comirnaty was greenlit for children aged five to 11 in November. 

The regulator has so far approved five vaccines for use in the EU: Pfizer and Moderna, which use messenger RNA technology, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, which use viral vector technology, and Novavax, which is based on a spike protein produced in a laboratory.

Canada approves first domestic vaccine

Canadian health authorities have approved the first domestic Covid-19 vaccine, Quebec City-based biopharmaceutical firm Medicago and its partner GlaxoSmithKline has announced.

This comes after more than 90 percent of Canadian adults have already received two jabs of other vaccines, but about half of the population has yet to get a booster shot.

Ottawa had pre-ordered up to 76 million doses of Covifenz.

Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the development of the vaccine also marked a reversal of a decades-long decline in Canada's biomanufacturing capabilities, which the pandemic had exposed.

According to Health Canada, clinical trials have shown the two-dose Covifenz vaccine to be 71 percent effective in protecting adults aged 18 to 64 against coronavirus infections.

Queen cancels virtual audiences due to Covid

Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled two engagements after she tested positive for coronavirus at the weekend.

"The two virtual audiences that had previously been scheduled to take place today will now be rescheduled for a later date," a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

Royal officials announced on Sunday that the 95-year-old head of state had tested positive and had "mild" Covid symptoms, but would continue with "light duties".

Her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, tested positive for the second time since early 2020 on February 10, two days after meeting his mother at Windsor Castle.

The queen, who is in her record-breaking 70th year on the throne, cancelled similar virtual engagements planned for Tuesday but spoke to Prime Minister Boris Johnson Wednesday.

Turkiye reports over 79,700 new cases

Turkiye has reported 79,708 new coronavirus cases.

The Health Ministry also recorded 281 deaths and 94,413 recoveries over the past day.

As many as 455,201 virus tests were done nationwide in the past 24 hours.

To counter the spread of the virus, Turkiye has administered over 145.34 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines since it launched an immunization drive in January 2021.

Brazil reports nearly 1,000 Covid fatalities

Brazil has recorded 133,563 new coronavirus cases and 999 Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Brazil has registered 28,484,890 cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 646,419.

Mexico adds over 400 more deaths

Mexico has reported 449 new confirmed deaths from Covid-19, bringing the official death toll since the coronavirus pandemic began to 316,941.

Record cases in Thailand

Thailand has reported a record daily increase of 23,557 new coronavirus infections, as the country deals with an outbreak driven by the Omicron variant.

The Southeast Asian country also reported 38 new deaths, according to the country's Covid-19 centre.

Hong Kong tightens Covid restrictions

Hong Kong rolls out a vaccine passport that requires people aged 12 and above to have at least one Covid-19 vaccination and also tightened restrictions in a city that already has some of the most stringent rules in the world.

Residents will have to show their vaccine record to access venues including supermarkets, malls and restaurants. 

They will also have to wear masks for all outdoor exercise and will not be allowed to remove masks to eat or drink on public transport.

Hong Kong reported a record 8,674 new infections on Wednesday, as the global financial hub prepares for compulsory testing of its 7.4 million people - part of its "dynamic zero Covid" strategy similar to mainland China.