Reuters. – Moderna said Wednesday that it will require regulators to license a Covid-19 vaccine for children under 6 years old based on data showing it generated an adult-like immune response in its clinical trial.
The Omicron variant of Covid-19 was prevalent during the Moderna pediatrics trial, with the drug maker saying the two doses were 38% effective in preventing infection in children 2 to 5 years old and 44% effective in children 6 months to less than 2 years old. .
He stated that these figures are consistent with the low efficacy against the Omicron variant observed in adults who received two doses of its vaccine.
Moderna’s vaccine may be the first licensed vaccine for children under five in the United States, and many parents of young children have been waiting for the vaccine.
A competing vaccine produced by Pfizer Inc and Germany’s BioNTech SE is licensed for use in children 5 years of age and older. But the results of their trials in children aged 2 to 4 years showed a weaker immune response than in adults, which led to the expansion of the trial for a third dose trial. Expected results in April.
Dr. Jacqueline Miller, one of Moderna’s chief scientists, said: Reuters That the company was “within two weeks” of providing authorization for this age group in the United States, Europe and other countries.
It’s not clear how many American parents will vaccinate their children in that age group. Only 27% of children aged 5-11 in the country are fully vaccinated, and Covid-19 is usually milder in children than in adults.
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In Moderna’s pediatric trial, there were no serious cases in those who received the vaccine or those who received a placebo.
Moderna said the injections, spaced four weeks apart, were generally well-tolerated in the age group and most side effects reported were mild or moderate.
The dose size tested was 25 mcg, a quarter of the dose adults receive for each of the first two injections.
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