
Australian regulator weighs up under-12s COVID vaccination.
A crucial step has been taken towards approving a COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six to 12.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has granted a "provisional determination" to Moderna Australia in relation to its COVID-19 vaccine, SPIKEVAX.
It means Moderna can apply to vary the provisional approval of its vaccine for use in children aged under 12.
Currently, SPIKEVAX is provisionally approved for use in people aged 12 years or older.
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine (SPIKEVAX) - provisional determination granted for proposed use in children and booster shot for adults under evaluation. Find out more: https://t.co/NKL2CSz9ky pic.twitter.com/VQd3DFgEEN
— TGA Australia (@TGAgovau) November 10, 2021
In making its decision, the TGA considered evidence of a plan to submit comprehensive clinical data in relation to use in children, the regulator said in a statement.
"Moderna Australia has now submitted data for provisional approval and the TGA is assessing the use of SPIKEVAX in children six to 11 years old," it said.
Meanwhile, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee recommended a vaccine mandate for all disability support workers, adding vaccinations should be a condition of entry to National Disability Insurance Scheme recipients' homes.
The committee recommended exemptions to that mandate be "limited".
Almost 82 per cent of Australians are now fully vaccinated, while nearly 90 per cent have had a single dose of vaccine.
On Wednesday there were 1003 new cases of COVID in Victoria, with 14 deaths.
NSW registered 216 infections and three fatalities while there were nine cases in the ACT.
There were three cases detected in Queensland.
East Coast expected to flood with a month's rain.
Flooding is expected as large parts of NSW are already drenched and more than a month's worth of "intense rainfall" is forecast in the coming days.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of widespread flooding, with two dozen catchments in danger of minor to major flooding across the state from Wednesday afternoon into the weekend.
Top Comments