Moderna Is Asking The FDA To Approve 2 Doses Of The Covid Vaccine For Kids Under 6 Years Old
The huge pharmaceutical companies aren't slowing down anytime soon when it comes to the coronavirus vaccine even though mask and vaccine mandates are being lifted across the country. Now they're turning their attention to children under six years old.
Moderna has been conducting trials to see if their child-sized dose of the coronavirus vaccine is ready to seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Their goal is to administer the vaccine to children under the age of six years old. Moderna's vaccine is currently available to individuals 18 years and older.
Moderna Is Going to Request Approval From the FDA For Child-Sized Doses of the Vaccine
Interim results from Modern's trials found some efficacy against coronavirus infections. More specifically, they found the vaccine had 37.5% efficacy amongst children aged two to six, and 43.7% efficacy in children between six months and two years old. The blood samples gathered from the clinical trial participants showed the vaccine had a "robust neutralizing antibody response in both age groups."
Is 37.5% efficacy really considered to be a success? It sounds like an awfully low number to be considered a success that is passed off to the FDA for approval. We also can't help but wonder who this vaccine was tested on; were parents willingly giving up their children to test out this shot?
Modern's CEO gave a statement about the new results. "Given the need for a vaccine against COVID-19 in infants and young children we are working with the U.S. FDA and regulators globally to submit these data as soon as possible," Stéphane Bancel said. Is there really a need for a vaccine for young children for a virus that has a 99.9% survival rate, though?
Moderna also said they will be submitting data to the FDA about a vaccine for older children, as well as a booster shot. The first time they requested approval to vaccinate older adolescents with two 100 microgram doses, the FDA declined because of heart inflammation side effects. Pfzier and BioNTech recently decided not to submit trials for their coronavirus vaccine trials for young children because of unsuccessful data against Omicron.
We're still waiting for an answer on why children as young as six months old need an experimental vaccine for a virus that poses little to no threat to their health.