Moderna says new data supports its COVID vaccine for kids 6 to 11
By
Scott Hensley |
NPR
Monday, October 25, 2021
A nurse draw a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine dose from a vial at the Cameron Grove Community Center in Bowie, Md., in late March. Moderna says study data supports use of a half-dose of the vaccine in children 6 to 11.
Win McNamee
/
Getty Images
Moderna says a study in kids 6 to 11 found two doses of the company's COVID-19 vaccine given 28 days apart produced a strong antibody response.
The study, conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, used shots containing a 50 microgram dose of the vaccine, half the dose of the Moderna shots authorized for adults. More than 4,700 children ages 5 to 11 took part in the study.
The most common side effects were fatigue, headache, fever and pain at the site of injection. The company says the analysis showed a "favorable safety profile."
The summary of the study results was made available in a press release. The information hasn't been peer reviewed or published, but Moderna said it plans to submit them to a scientific journal for publication.
The company also said it plans to submit the data to regulators, a move that would support the authorization of the vaccine for kids 6 to 11.
The release of the data comes a day before a panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will review use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11 years of age.
In June, Moderna submitted study results involving nearly 2,500 adolescents ages 12 to 15 to the FDA. The agency hasn't yet issued a decision on whether to expand use of the Moderna vaccine to that age group.
In May, the FDA expanded authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to include adolescents 12 to 15 years of age.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
View this story on npr.org
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today