THE Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for six to eleven-year-old children and became available last week.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommendation follows the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval of Moderna for children aged six years and older on 17 February.

Pfizer vaccine continues to be available to children aged five and over.

Nearly half of children in NSW aged between five and 11 have already received one dose of the Pfizer vaccine since it became available in January this year.

Healthy North Coast Chief Executive Officer Julie Sturgess said that with the Moderna changes, parents and carers now have more choice and flexibility in the vaccine they choose for their children.

“Over the past year, we’ve seen such a strong uptake of vaccination right across the North Coast,” Ms Sturgess said.

“When people who are eligible to be vaccinated do so, it helps to protect the whole community, especially those who are most vulnerable.”

For children aged between six and eleven, a paediatric dose of Moderna is half the dose currently provided for people aged twelve years and over – two doses of 50μg per dose (0.25mL), eight weeks apart, or three doses for immunocompromised children.

The recommended eight-week interval can be shortened to four weeks for children at risk of moderate to severe COVID-19, for example, those with underlying health conditions, in an outbreak or before international travel.

The Australian Government has secured more than 25 million doses of Moderna as part of the national vaccine rollout.

All Australians eligible for their primary course of vaccination or their booster dose and who have not yet acted should use the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder to make an appointment.