UK approves use of Moderna vaccine in children between six and 11 years
April 14, 2022, 4:59 pm

UK approves use of Moderna vaccine in children between six and 11 years

Moderna Covid-19 vaccine/Pixabay

The Arab News reported, citing Reuters, Britain’s medicines regulator said on Thursday it had approved the use of Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine in children between six and 11 years, as the country bolsters itself for fighting coronavirus infections.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the approval was granted after Moderna’s vaccine, known as Spikevax, met the required standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.

Spikevax was already approved in Britain for those over 12 years, and the extension to include younger children comes hours after the regulator approved French firm Valneva’s easy-to-store COVID-19 vaccine for adults up to 50 years of age.

UK approves the use of Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine in children between six and 11 years (File photo: Shutterstock)

MHRA chief June Raine said in a statement that it would be up to Britain’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization to advise on whether Moderna’s vaccine will be offered to the younger group as part of the country’s immunization program.

Oon Thursday (Apr 14), Britain also approved French firm Valneva’s COVID-19 vaccine, bringing in a sixth coronavirus shot to the country.

Britain gets sixth COVID shot after French firm Valneva approval

This vaccine is the first whole-virus inactivated COVID-19 shot to get a regulatory nod in the country.

levantnews, arabnews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.