Moderna said this week that its COVID-19 vaccine is 100% effective in stopping COVID-19 in children 12 to 17 years old.
- “We are encouraged that mRNA-1273 was highly effective at preventing COVID-19 in adolescents,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a press release. “We remain committed to doing our part to help end the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Moderna said there were no cases of COVID-19 in participants who had two doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
- The research from Moderna found the vaccine was 93% effective starting 14 days after the first dose of the vaccine.
- The trial included more than 3,700 young people. About two-thirds of the participants received the two-dose Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. One-third of the participants received a placebo shot, according to USA Today.
What’s next for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine?
Moderna plans to ask the Food and Drug Administration for full approval of its vaccine for teenagers, which would allow more youngsters to be vaccinated, according to CNBC. Moderna plans to ask the FDA for approval in early June.
- “If approved, it would likely dramatically expand the number of shots available to middle and high school students ahead of next school year,” according to CNBC.
What other COVID-19 vaccines are available for children?
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In mid-May, the Food and Drug Administration approved the emergency use of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children who are 12 to 15 years old. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later approved the vaccine for the same age group.
- The Washington Post reports: “The CDC action will mean the inoculation can be given at any site authorized to administer the shots. Pharmacies and large vaccination clinics that already have doses of the Pfizer vaccine are likely to be among the first places where adolescents can get the shots.”