Moderna is conducting trials for its COVID-19 vaccine's use in children ages ages six months to 11 as well as for a refrigerator-safe version of its COVID-19 vaccine.
Moderna said March 16 that it has begun administering its COVID-19 vaccine as a part of a clinical trial it is conducting in the U.S. and Canada to assess the vaccine's safety and efficacy in children ages six months to 11.
The trial is being conducted in collaboration with HHS and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Moderna said it aims to enroll about 6,750 children.
Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca have already begun testing their COVID-19 vaccines in adolescents ages 12 and older, and results of those studies are pending. Federal health officials have indicated that positive results from studies involving adolescents and children would mean adolescents could get access to COVID-19 vaccines in the fall and elementary-school age children would get access in early 2022, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Moderna said March 15 it is also testing a refrigerator-safe version of its COVID-19 vaccine. The trial will test the new version's safety and efficacy in hopes that it could facilitate easier distribution and administration for healthcare providers.
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