Moderna said Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 through 11 is safe and produces a strong immune response.
The pharma firm said its drug trials show that one month after taking the two-dose vaccine, children in the age group had antibody levels about 1.5 levels higher than what is seen in adults.
The company administered the doses of the vaccine 28 days apart to 4,753 children. Each of the shots was 50 milligrams, half the strength of the doses for adults.
The majority of the side effects in the trial were mild or moderate in severity, with fatigue, headache, fever and injection-site pain the most common, the company said.
Moderna didn’t release the full results from the clinical trials but said it plans to submit the data to regulators soon.
Moderna claims children ages 6 through 11 had stronger antibody levels against COVID-19 than adult recipients. AFP via Getty ImagesThe announcement comes one day before a panel of Food and Drug Administration advisers will vote on whether to authorize Pfizer’s vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11.
The Moderna vaccine is currently approved only for those over the age of 18.
The company has submitted study results to the FDA for the vaccine’s use in kids ages 12 to 17, but regulators have not announced a decision on that yet.
Charles Muro, 13, celebrates being inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 13, 2021. AFP via Getty ImagesWith Post wires
