Moderna is expanding its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine study to included additional children and it plans to include even younger children, the Associated Press reports.
Currently, the Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is authorized for use in individuals over the age of 18, though CNBC notes authorization for its use among children and teens aged 12 and over is expected soon. Pfizer's SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is currently authorized for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 as well as for people 16 and older.
The New York Times reports that the US Food and Drug Administration has asked both Moderna and Pfizer were asked to expand the sizes of their vaccine studies among 5 to 11-year-olds, in part to better detect rare side effects like heart inflammation. The FDA last month added a warning label to the Moderna and Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to note that they were associated with risk of a rare inflammatory condition among teens and young adults.
The AP adds that Moderna also plans to expand its trial to include children as young as six months. Pfizer, the Times notes, expects to have results from its study of 5-year-olds to 11-year-olds in September, followed shortly by results from study of 2-year-olds to 5-year-olds, and it expects results from its study of 6-month-olds to 2-year-olds in October or November.