From the 5th, Adolescents Aged 12-17 Can Also Receive Novavax Vaccination (Update)

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Starting from the 5th, Novavax will also be used for vaccinating adolescents aged 12 to 17.

On the 1st, the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team announced that following the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's approval for changes to the Novavax vaccine on the 12th, the vaccination age for Novavax will be expanded from 18 and older to 12 and older.

Previously, the Promotion Team decided to expand the recommended vaccination age for Novavax after expert advisory meetings on COVID-19 vaccines on the 24th of last month and review by the Vaccination Expert Committee on the 29th, and plans to implement the new vaccination criteria starting from the 5th.

Accordingly, adolescents will be able to receive the Novavax vaccine from the 5th through advance reservations or same-day visits.

According to the effectiveness study based on the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's approval, Novavax showed a 79.5% infection prevention effect for this age group, and the neutralizing antibody effect in 12-17-year-olds was 1.46 times higher than that of 18-25-year-olds, confirming its effectiveness.

In terms of safety, adverse reactions to Novavax vaccination in 12-17-year-olds showed symptoms similar to those in individuals aged 18 and older, mostly ranging from mild to moderate. These symptoms also disappeared within a few days after vaccination. According to domestic adverse reaction analysis, the reporting rate of adverse reactions after COVID-19 vaccination with Novavax was 0.14%, which is lower than the overall reporting rate of 0.37%.

Starting in March in India, the vaccination age for Novavax has been expanded from 18 and older to 12 and older in eight countries including the European Union (EU), the United States, and Japan.

Currently, the Novavax vaccine is being used for primary vaccination and additional (3rd and 4th) doses for those aged 18 and older, with a cumulative total of 790,000 doses administered as of the 31st of last month.

Im Eum-gi, head of the Vaccination Management Division of the Promotion Team, stated, "Primary vaccination is recommended for all 12-17-year-olds, and the 3rd dose is actively recommended for high-risk groups aged 12-17, but the primary vaccination rate is 66% and the 3rd dose rate is 11%, so more participation is needed." He added, "Since Novavax has been added as a vaccine option for adolescents, we ask for much interest and participation from those who have concerns about adverse reactions to messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.