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BERLIN: Germany can next week start using COVID-19 vaccines which have been adapted for the Omicron variant and got approval for use in the European Union on Thursday, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said.
He said approval of the BA.1 vaccine was a quantum leap in the fight against the pandemic as vaccines were now available that work well against all previously known virus variants.
“From next week, vaccinations can begin with the new doses. Now is the optimal time to close the gaps in vaccination for the autumn,” he said in a statement.
On the other hand, Britain’s medicines regulator on Friday approved Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged between 12 and 17 years.
The mRNA vaccines made by Moderna as well as the partnership between Pfizer-BioNTech are also cleared for use by this age group, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said.
In the 12 through 17 year-old population, the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine has been granted authorization in the U.S., India, the European Union, Australia, Japan, Thailand, and New Zealand, and is actively under review in other markets.