U.S. CDC backs Moderna's COVID vaccine for teens, older children

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday it had recommended Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for children and adolescents aged 6 to 17, allowing a rollout of the shots to begin for that age group.

A rival vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, based on similar messenger RNA technology, has been available for teens for more than a year and since October for children aged 5 to 11.
On Saturday, the CDC recommended Moderna's shot for children aged six months to five years, and Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for children aged six months to four years.

"Vaccinating this age group can provide greater confidence to families that their children and adolescents participating in childcare, school, and other activities will have less risk for serious COVID-19 illness," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement on Friday.

A panel of CDC advisers unanimously voted on Thursday to recommend use of the shot in that age group.