Moderna Asks FDA to Authorize COVID-19 Vaccine for Kids Under 6

Moderna asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Thursday for emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 6 months to under 6 years.

The company recently reported that its vaccine for children generated a strong immune response in children ages 6 months to 5 years during clinical trials. Trial data reportedly showed that vaccine efficacy was 43.7% in children ages 6 months to 2 years and 37.5% in children ages 2 to 6. The company said that "no severe COVID-19 disease was observed in either age group" during the trials. 

Kids under the age of 6 are the last age group in the U.S. without access to a COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer's vaccine is available for everyone ages 5 and older; Moderna is authorized for people ages 17 and up. In February, the FDA delayed a meeting on Pfizer's vaccine for children under 5, citing a desire to review more data.

Moderna's request was highlighted more by left- and center-rated news sources, and less by right-rated outlets. Some reports from the right mentioned concerns about vaccine side effects in kids and teens; few reports from the left and center did. Reports from the left and center more often focused on Moderna's clinical trial data and mentioned public health concerns for kids who aren't yet eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.