authorization of the vaccine for children ages 6-17.
Moderna’s latest move is the first concrete step towards getting vaccines ready for young kids since the FDA postponed a planned meeting of its vaccine advisory panel to discuss the issue back in February. At that time, FDA officials had been preparing for the possibility that two doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine formulated for the youngest kids could be rolled out by the spring.
But a weak showing in the immune response triggered by two doses of the Pfizer vaccine among the youngest children prompted Pfizer to wait for results from three doses in this age group, which it expects will offer more protection. Data from that trial is expected by June, CBS News reports.
Moderna also says it is working to evaluate a third dose of its vaccine in children as young as 6 months old.
The approximately 18 million children in this lowest age group are the only Americans not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination at the moment.
Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on COVID vaccines and kids.