Shawdesh desk:

Vaccine advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted on Thursday to support recommending the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in people ages 6 through 17 years old.

The vaccine received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week.

This recommendation reinforces the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine as an important tool in the pandemic and provides another vaccine option for children and adolescents, said the CDC in a statement.

Previously, the Moderna vaccine was already recommended for use in children 6 months through 5 years old and adults 18 years and older.

“Today, we have expanded the options available to families by recommending a second safe and effective vaccine for children ages 6 through 17 years,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky after endorsing the advisors’ recommendation.

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, she said.