TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Sunday provided authorization for the Moderna COVID vaccine (Spikevax) to be used with children six to 11 years old.

During a press conference that afternoon, FDA Director Wu Shou-mei (吳秀梅) said that during a meeting attended by specialists that morning, the agency had issued emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Moderna jab for children between six and 11 years of age. Wu said two doses of 0.25 milliliters each are recommended for this age group, half the amount for adults, and that the shots are delivered 28 days apart.

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) convenor Chong Inn-wen (鍾飲文) said that according to studies conducted in the European Union, Australia, and 30 other countries, the most common side effects among children aged 6 to 11 are pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue, and fever. Chong said that the risk of serious adverse reactions such as myocarditis and pericarditis among children in this age group is no higher than among 12 to 18-year-olds.

Chong said that full doses, half doses, and one-quarter doses had been administered to clinical trial subjects. A full dose was found to produce a strong immune response but resulted in a higher incidence of adverse reactions, while a half dose was found to still provide a strong antibody response and led to fewer adverse reactions.

Next week, the ACIP will convene a meeting of experts on whether to actually begin inoculating children in this age group, according to Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中). If the ACIP approves this, schools will be contacted about their willingness to distribute the vaccines.