Moderna vaccine trial for young children nears finish line

 Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids six months to 5-years old could be the first one for that age group to get approval from the FDA.

“We hope to have those results available for the FDA and the other boards to look at some time toward the end of January,” said Dr. William Hartman, principle investigator for the UW-Moderna pediatric COVID-19 vaccine trial.

It’s then up to the FDA. Which means it could happen as soon as late February or early March.

“The Moderna side uses a slightly higher dose and so we’re hoping that the two doses will prove effective enough so that we can move forward,” said Dr. Hartman.

So far, the side affects found in some teens have not been found in the trail group.

“They look to be very safe vaccines for this age group,” said Dr. Hartman.

Dr. Hartman said if a kid gets COVID-19, and they are under five, they usually don’t have severe symptoms. But, even with that, the vaccine approval for kids 6 months to 5 years old is still a high priority.

“Nationwide they have seen an uptick in cases that have occurred in kids and in hospitalizations of kids,” said Dr. Hartman.

With the new variant, Dr. Hartman urged parents to look out for their children having sore throats and upset stomachs. He called sore throats the “Hallmark of omicron.”

Like the other variants, Omicron wants to infect as many people as possible. Dr. Hartman said it’s easier for Omicron to infect the unvaccinated and right now that includes the five and under group.

“Getting them vaccinated is really going to be a key in helping limit the spread,” said Dr. Hartman.

https://www.wsaw.com/2021/12/30/moderna-vaccine-trial-young-children-nears-finish-line/