Moderna begins study of COVID vaccine in young kids
Moderna has taken its first steps in protecting the youngest among us.
The biotech company announced Tuesday it has begun a study that will test its COVID-19 vaccine in babies and children, ranging in age from six months to just under 12 years old.
The study will assess the safety and efficacy of its two dose regimen, given 28 days apart.
It is currently authorized for use in Americans aged 18 and older.
Last December, Moderna began a separate study to test its vaccine in adolescents between 12 and 18 years old.
The latest study on young children is being conducted in collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – which helped developed Moderna’s vaccine and is headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci has predicted that elementary school children could be vaccinated by the first quarter of 2022.
Moderna said it intends to enroll about 6,750 kids in the U.S. and Canada for the study.
