The biopharmaceutical company said it intends to continue working with the FDA to evaluate the process for getting an emergency use authorization for pediatric use of Covaxin, it said<\/a> in a March 4 statement that announced the health agency\u2019s decision. The company had sought to authorize the shot for children aged 2 to 18.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ocugen had entered into a deal with vaccine maker Bharat in late 2020, under which it would develop, supply, and commercialize Covaxin for the U.S. market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Covaxin, which isn\u2019t cleared for any age group in the United States, is one of the two most widely used COVID vaccines in India and also has an emergency use listing from the World Health Organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A large-scale clinical trial<\/a> found that the vaccine provided decent protection against COVID-19, although it was carried out before the spread of the Omicron variant, which began to spread in the United States in late 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Covaxin, unlike Moderna or Pfizer, doesn\u2019t use mRNA technology; it uses<\/a> inactivated coronavirus technology similar to Johnson & Johnson\u2019s single-shot vaccine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The FDA has only fully authorized Pfizer\u2019s two-shot mRNA vaccine for children aged 5 to 17. There are currently no COVID-19 vaccines authorized for children under 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ocugen said it\u2019s continuing to seek full approval for the vaccine within the United States; the company previously said it would start enrolling adult U.S. volunteers for a clinical trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some health experts have argued that most healthy children should not receive the vaccine, as a number of studies and data have shown that children have an extremely low chance of dying from COVID-19 or developing severe symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that children aged 5 and older receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thelehighacresgazette.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/OCGN-0205-1-750x406-1.jpg\")