Moderna announced Wednesday that its coronavirus vaccine is safe for young children.
Why it matters: Moderna’s announcement represents a turning point in the development of vaccines for children under 6 years of age.
Details: Moderna said that its two-dose coronavirus vaccine provided safe protection for children, toddlers and babies.
- In general, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine provided protection similar for children as it did for young adults.
- However, the two-dose shot provided less protection against infection because of the omicron variant, per The Washington Post.
- Children from 6 months to 5 years old also had less robust protection with a 40% efficacy rate.
- The two doses for children were 25 micrograms each and were given 28 days apart, per CNN.
Worth noting: Moderna said there were no deaths or myocarditis cases.
- No cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) — a major side effect of COVID-19 for children — were reported during testing, either.
What’s next: Moderna plans to ask the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the use of the vaccine for the younger age group.
What they’re saying: “Given the need for a vaccine against COVID-19 in infants and young children we are working with the U.S. FDA and regulators globally to submit these data as soon as possible,” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement. “We believe these latest results ... are good news for parents of children under 6 years of age.”