NewsNational

Actions

Moderna seeks to be 1st with COVID shots for younger children

Virus Outbreak Moderna Kids
Posted at 10:34 AM, Apr 28, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-28 10:42:13-04

Moderna is asking U.S. regulators to allow for use of its COVID-19 vaccine on the nation's youngest children.

Moderna submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration Thursday for emergency use authorization of its vaccine for children between 6 months and 5 years old.

"We believe mRNA-1273 will be able to safely protect these children against SARS-CoV-2, which is so important in our continued fight against COVID-19 and will be especially welcomed by parents and caregivers," said Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna.

Kids under 5 are the only group in the U.S. not yet eligible for vaccination and many parents are waiting for a chance to protect them. Pfizer's vaccine is currently available for those 5 and older.

Moderna hopes the FDA will give emergency authorization for its vaccine by summer.

It's a complex decision partly because while other countries give Moderna shots to older children, the U.S. so far has restricted them to adults.