Preliminary analysis indicates vaccine efficacy of 51 percent among children younger than 2 years and 37 percent among children 2 to 5 years<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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THURSDAY, April 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Moderna announced Thursday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to authorize the emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 6 years old. It is the first vaccine maker to seek U.S. authorization of a COVID-19 shot for that age group.<\/p>\n
“We believe mRNA-1273 [the Moderna vaccine] will be able to safely protect these children against SARS-CoV-2, which is so important in our continued fight against COVID-19, and will be especially welcomed by parents and caregivers,” Moderna CEO St \u00a9phane Bancel said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The two 25-\u00c2\u00b5g doses of the vaccine for children younger than 6 are smaller than the two 100-\u00c2\u00b5g doses for adults, but tests among children ages 6 months to younger than 6 years showed a “robust neutralizing antibody response” and a “favorable safety profile,” according to Moderna.<\/p>\n
The company also said that preliminary analysis of lab tests during the omicron wave showed the vaccine’s efficacy against infection was 51 percent among children younger than 2 years and 37 percent among children aged 2 to 5 years. “These efficacy estimates are similar to vaccine efficacy estimates in adults against omicron after two doses,” the company said in its statement.<\/p>\n
For now, FDA authorization of the Moderna vaccine is limited to adults. Along with the new request, the company has also asked for authorization of the vaccine for children ages 6 to 17 years.<\/p>\n