COVID-19 Vaccine for children aged 6 months to under 5 years
Following the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) approval of the Spikvax (Moderna) vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has provided recommendations in on the use of Moderna in children aged 6mths to under 5 years in certain at-risk populations groups.
ATAGI recommends COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 6 months to under 5 years with severe immunocompromise, disability, and those who have complex and/or multiple health conditions which increase the risk of severe COVID-19. Approximately 70,000 young children at a higher risk of developing severe illness form COVID-19 will be able to receive a vaccination. The vaccine rollout will begin on Monday 5 September.
The recommendation is for 2 primary doses, except for those children with severe immunocompromise who will require 3 primary doses. The recommended interval between each dose is 8 weeks. At this stage, ATAGI does not recommend vaccination for children aged 6 months to under 5 years who are not in the risk categories for severe COVID-19. These children have a very low likelihood of severe illness from COVID-19.
The Expression of Interest (EOI) process for Moderna 6 months to 4 years closed on Friday, 29 July 2022. Due to the limited cohort recommended for the vaccine, not all participating general practices will be selected to participate in this roll-out at this stage.
You can read the ATAGI advice on the Department of Health website here.
