Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine is safe and generated an immune response in children ages 6 months through 17 years that’s comparable to the response in adults, according to documents posted by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA's vaccine advisers will evaluate next week Moderna's Covid-19 vaccines for children 6 months through 5 years and 6 years through 17 years should be granted emergency use authorization.Children under 5 years old -- about 18 million people -- are the only US age group that still isn't eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. Moderna's vaccine is currently available only to people 18 and older.
The FDA's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting will evaluate Moderna's Covid-19 vaccines for children ages 6 through 17 on June 14 and will evaluate Moderna's Covid-19 vaccines for children 6 months through 5 years of age on June 15. Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for children under 5 will also be discussed on June 15.
After the FDA vaccine advisers vote, the agency must decide whether to authorize the vaccines. Shots cannot be administered until US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisers have voted whether to recommend the vaccines and the CDC director has signed off on the recommendation. The White House has said vaccines for the youngest age group could be administered starting the week of June 20.