Australia’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign will be bolstered after the Moderna jab was given provisional approval for use by teenagers.
The medicine regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, on Saturday announced it has provisionally approved the use of Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine for people aged 12 years and older.
This reduces the age cap from 18 years, set early in August.
Moderna’s vaccine has also received regulatory approval for use by the 12- to 17-year-old age group in the UK, Canada, the European Union and Switzerland.
The recommended dose and dose interval is the same as that for the adult population – two full doses given 28 days apart.
This announcement follows Australia’s deal struck with the UK to provide 4 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine under a vaccine swap deal.
Pfizer is now available for Australians aged 16-39 with bookings for 12-15 year olds open from 13 September.
The UK doses will be distributed on an equal population share basis, with 60% delivered through the primary care network and 40% through state-based vaccination clinics.
However, health authorities are keen for as many people as possible to book in for AstraZeneca shots.
Another 300,000 people received a vaccine in the past 24 hours as double-dose coverage for people aged 16 and over hit 37.12% nationwide.
The ACT leads the way, with 44.55% of its over-16 population fully vaccinated, with Western Australia trailing the pack on 33.26%.
A record infection rise was fuelled by the spiralling NSW outbreak, which led to another 1,533 people testing positive, as reported on Saturday, along with four deaths.
Victoria on Saturday reported 190 new Covid cases, with both states pinning lockdown exit plans on a rapid increase in vaccinations.
Queensland reported one new infection on Saturday – a four-year-old girl, whose attendance at a childcare centre has sparked an isolation order for 1,000 families in the state’s south-east.