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Vaccination in an infant (symbol image): The EU Commission still has to approve the approval
Photo: Swen Pförtner / dpa
The EU medicines agency EMA is paving the way for two corona vaccines for babies from six months.
With the vaccines from the manufacturers Pfizer/Biontech and Moderna, these children could also be protected from a corona infection, the EMA announced in Amsterdam.
Both vaccines were already approved for adults and children aged five and six years respectively.
However, the doses for babies and toddlers are significantly lower.
Now the EU Commission still has to approve the approval, which is considered a formality.
However, whether a corona vaccination for babies is offered at all is a decision of the respective EU member states.
According to the EMA experts, studies had shown that even babies and young children were protected from infection at a very low dose.
According to the EMA, after a vaccination fatigue, loss of appetite, skin rash or pain at the injection site can occur.
However, these side effects are usually very mild and only last a few days.
The experts at the EMA would continue to monitor and evaluate the safety and effectiveness of both vaccines, it said.
The EMA reports that both vaccines have already shown their effectiveness in adults.
They prevented a severe course of the disease, admission to hospitals and deaths after a corona infection.
Lauterbach warns of Corona winter
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented the federal government's new vaccination campaign last Friday.
He appealed to the countries to apply protective measures now.
"Now is the time, really," Lauterbach said.
"The intensive care units are filling up more and more," he said.
"It will always go on like this," he prophesied.
"The direction we're headed isn't a good one."
However, there are ways to protect the population: "We know from the fight against pandemics: The sooner you step on the brakes, the better." It is therefore better to work now with fewer restrictions than later with stricter ones.
ptz/dpa