Moderna Says COVID-19 Vaccine 96% Effective in Teens

Moderna released results of its trials for the COVID-19 vaccine in teens age 12-17, saying it is 96% effective against the virus. The trial involved 3,235 participants; among those, 12 COVID-19 cases were recorded beginning 14 days after the first dose. The company said it has not identified any serious safety concerns to date. This comes after Pfizer and BioNTech last month found their COVID-19 vaccine to be 100% effective among ages 12-15. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to give emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine to be used among adolescents in the next week. The story received coverage from across the political spectrum. Coverage from left and center-rated outlets tended to focus on the details of the trial; some right-rated outlets framed the news in the context of a return to in-person schooling in the fall.