Moderna Begins COVID Vaccine Testing On Children

3/17/21 By Ashly Ibarra

Children might be able to get vaccinated for COVID-19 sooner than expected. The Drug company Moderna began a study that will test their successful COVID vaccine in children under 12. This includes babies as young as six months old. 

Moderna plans to enroll roughly around 6,750 healthy children in the United States and Canada for the study. The company declined to say how many children have already received their first dose according to spokeswoman, Colleen Hussey.

In a separate study, the vaccine will be tested in 3,000 children ages 12 to 17 years. The company says it may have the results for this age group by the summer, but the vaccine will not be available right away because the results will have to be authorized first. 

Vaccine side effects range from fever, sore arms, fatigue, and achy joints and muscles. Which can be more intense for children compared to adults who have already received the vaccine.

Each child participating in the study will receive two shots 28 days apart. One dose for an adult is 100 micrograms but children under 12 may receive two doses of 50 or 100 micrograms. Those under two may receive two shots of 25, 50, or 100 micrograms. 

All of this is to ensure the safety of children. The children will then be monitored for a year to measure side effects and antibody levels.

Johnson and Johnson also said they will begin to test their vaccine on young children and babies. They have already told the public they will test on older children first. Pfizer and BioNTech are currently testing their vaccine in children ages 12 to 15 – stating they plan to move to younger groups as test results come in.