BREAKING NEWS: Moderna asks FDA to expand emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine to include kids ages 12-17 – which would make it the second shot approved for children
- Moderna Inc has asked the FDA to expand emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine to Americans between ages 12 and 17
- Recent clinical trial data found that the vaccine was 100 percent safe and effective in younger teens
- If approved, it would provide parents with a second option to immunize children before the start of the 2021 school year
Moderna Inc has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine to Americans between ages 12 and 17.
When the vaccine was originally authorized for use by the FDA in December 2020, it was only for those aged 18 and older.
However, recent phase III clinical trial data showed no children who were given the immunization fell ill with the virus within 14 of their second dose while four children given the placebo later tested positive.
According to Moderna this is ‘consistent with a vaccine efficacy of 100 percent.’
It comes exactly four weeks after Pfizer-BioNTech received approval from the FDA to administer its vaccine to children between ages 12 and 15.
Moderna Inc has asked the FDA to expand emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine to Americans between ages 12 and 17. Pictured: A healthcare worker holds a vial of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine at a pop-up vaccination site in New York City, January 29
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.