The first lot of children has been vaccinated with the first dose of the COVID19 vaccine in the second phase of Moderna’s pediatric COVID19 vaccine trial. The clinical trial of children’s COVID19 vaccine is known as KidCOVE Study of mRNA 1273. The trial will include around 6750 children from the US and Canada, who are in the age range of 6 months to 11 years. Moderna has divided this clinical trial into two parts. In the first part of the clinical trial, children will be given different doses of the vaccine. Experts have said that kids in the age group of 6 months to 11 years will be given two doses of the Cambridge-based Moderna vaccine candidate for COVID19 in the gap of 28 days at either a 25 or a 50 or a 100-microgram level. Children who are in the age group of 2 to 11 years will be given two doses of the vaccine about 28 days apart at either a 50 or a 100-microgram level. As per the officials, the outcomes of the first part will help them identify which dose will be used in the second part of the clinical trial.
The second part of the clinical trial will include those children as well who are given a saline placebo, which does not have any effect. Experts have said that the children will be followed for 12 months after the second shot of the vaccine. Moderna is conducting these trials to determine whether its vaccine will provide enough immunity to kids against the COVID19 if they are exposed to the virus or contract the disease. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel has said that they are thrilled to start the 2/3 study of mRNA-1273 on healthy kids in the US and Canada. He has said that the findings of the pediatric trial will help experts to assess the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of the COVID19 vaccine in the young age population. The company has joined hands with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority at the US Department of Health and Human Services for the study.
The officials of the company have said that the primary findings of the phase three COVE study of mRNA-1273 in adult people who have been in the age group of 18 years and above have encouraged them to conduct the pediatric trial. As Moderna is testing its COVID19 vaccine on children, Pfizer and BioNTech as well have started testing its COVID19 vaccine on children. Johnson & Johnson as well has declared its plan to launch a study to test its one-shot COVID19 vaccine on young people in the age group of 12 to 18 years. In December, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the emergency use of Moderna’s COVID19 vaccine for adults and the COVID19 vaccine which has been developed by Pfizer-BioNTech for people who are in the age range of 16 years and above. In the month of February, The FDA has approved the emergency use of a one-shot vaccine, which has been developed by Johnson & Johnson.
