EU clears Moderna shot for young kids, Pfizer boosters

AMSTERDAM (AP) — The European Medicines Agency said it has authorized Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for children aged six to 11, in addition to recommending booster shots of Pfizer’s vaccine for those aged 12 and over. The decisions are aimed at providing further protection against COVID-19 for children across Europe. At a press briefing Thursday, the EU regulator’s vaccines chief, Dr. Marco Cavaleri, said the Moderna vaccine for younger children will be a half-dose of what is given to older teens and adults. Cavaleri also said data from countries including Israel and the U.S. in more than 400,000 children showed that a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children 12 was safe and effective.