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A COVID-19 vaccine for babies and toddlers is another step closer after Australian regulators confirmed they are evaluating a low dose of Moderna's Spikevax.

There are currently no COVID-19 vaccines approved for children under four, with kids aged five and over given the Pfizer jab.

Spikevax is available for children over six and Moderna Australia has applied to the Therapeutic Goods Administration to extend it to younger children.

The TGA on Friday confirmed it is assessing using a low dose of Spikevax, 25 micrograms in 0.25ml, for children aged between six-months and five-years-old.

That is below the 50 micrograms in 0.25ml measurement that is currently used for children aged six to 11.

Spikevax, an mRNA vaccine, uses a genetic code to enable the production of the coronavirus spike protein.

Immune cells then recognise the spike protein as foreign and begin building an immune response against it.

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Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/vaccine-vaccination-covid-19-5926664/ (free image)

In this social media age, where risky behaviour can be broadcast widely online, the number of Aussie teens drinking underage has dropped drastically.

The number of young drinkers has plummeted by about 42 per cent between 2010 and 2021, according to the latest statistics gathered by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking.

There has also been a 19 per cent drop in the number of deaths resulting from drink-driving, and a 15 per cent decrease in heavy episodic binge drinking.

Australia, the US and Lithuania are leading the charge on declining underage drinking figures, according to the global analysis, all reporting more than a 40 per cent drop.

The report confirms a downward trend for half of the 62 countries studied, and no change in a further quarter.

The alliance believes the drop in underage drinking - and other risky behaviour such as underage smoking and sex - has a lot to do with young people wanting to create and maintain a certain image on social media.

They don't want to put their chances of personal and career success at risk by having photos of embarrassing or illegal behaviour online for the world to see.

"These downward trends in risky behaviour are linked to this rise in the public profile of their social life," Henry Ashworth, chief executive of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, told AAP.

"It's not hidden behind the bike shed."

DrinkWise Australia chief executive Simon Strahan agrees that social media has played a huge role in making teens more circumspect.

"Teenagers spend time building a profile of themselves on social media - they don't want to destroy it," Mr Strahan says.

He says young people are very savvy and only too aware a questionable photo could haunt them forever.

Mr Strahan says the sharp decline in unhealthy alcohol consumption in Australia is also a reflection of the collective push to break generational inheritance of drinking habits.

He says DrinkWise campaigns over the past 15 years have encouraged parents to consider their own patterns of drinking behaviour and the example they might be setting for their children, and that Australians are also bringing up an increasingly health-conscious generation.

Mr Ashworth says there is a big societal change happening, and the most important statistic in the report is the drop in underage drinking because that should play forward to future generations.

"Those sorts of trends are really important because they create generational shifts," he said.

"This is a great example of how government and industry and civil society and educational organisations all pull together in this whole-of-society response.

"Producers, advertisers, retailers - they all have a part to play."

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Image: Peg93, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Craig Bellamy has pulled a surprise by opting for rookie Tyran Wishart at fullback for Melbourne's blockbuster NRL Magic Round clash with Penrith on Saturday night.

Earlier on Friday, coach Bellamy said he was contemplating moving five eighth Cameron Munster to the back to replace injured fellow superstar Ryan Papenhuyzen.

However on Friday night Melbourne announced Nick Meaney, who was named to wear the No.1 jersey, would move back to the wing with 22-year-old utility Wishart to play fullback.

Wishart covered at fullback when Papenhuyzen was forced out with knee and hamstring injuries in the second half of their win over the Dragons last round.

Making his debut this season, Wishart - the son of Steelers great Rod Wishart - is sure to be put under plenty of pressure by Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary in the top of the ladder clash.

Munster started his NRL career at fullback in 2014 and spent the bulk of two seasons there when Billy Slater was sidelined with shoulder injuries.

He took over the five-eighth jersey fulltime in 2018 but the 27-year-old has often spoken of his desire to return to the back.

"Munster has played plenty there so we've got some options," Bellamy had said earlier.

"He's gone there a couple of times this year ... we'll start a certain way but if that's not quite working out we can make some changes."

Following Wishart's move, Jordan Grant will come onto the bench with Cooper Johns and Tui Kamikamica remaining in the 19-man squad.

Any late change will see prop Kamikamica play his first NRL game of the year after completing a nine-week ban for an off-field incident.

The Storm are also planning to start Marion Seve in the centres despite him only playing nine NRL games in the past two seasons.

Bellamy said Seve, who had a knee reconstruction in 2020, had been knocking on the door for some time before Reimis Smith was injured.

"He's been outstanding in the Queensland Cup ... we're real confident he will do the job," he said of Seve.

Melbourne and Penrith have dominated the past two seasons, each winning a title, while they enter this sold-out Suncorp Stadium clash on top of the ladder with 8-1 records.

Some extra spice was thrown into their rivalry when it was revealed that after the 2020 grand final victory Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes drunkenly mocked the blue-collar upbringing of the Panthers, which they used as fodder for last year's preliminary final win.

Bellamy defended Hughes, who apologised to the Panthers this week for his social media antics.

"I don't know the situation from 2020 but the only thing I will say is that I've never met a better person than Jahrome Hughes," the coach said.

"He's a very humble guy and very well-mannered so if he did upset someone he would be very sorry for that."

Melbourne have piled on an incredible 162 points in their past three matches and Bellamy conceded that wasn't great for an expected arm-wrestle with the Panthers.

"If that's the way it turns out, our last three weeks hasn't been ideal preparation for that sort of game," he said.

"We can only play to our strengths and try to restrict opportunities for the opposition."

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Image: Melbourne Storm Facebook