Trials Showing Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Is Safe For Adolescents

Two weeks after Pfizer announced that the Food and Drug Administration approved its vaccine for children as young as 12, Moderna just released results from trials they have been conducting on the same age group. The trials prove the safety and efficacy of the Moderna shot for children between the ages of 12 and 15. If approved by the FDA, Moderna will be the second vaccine made available to Americans as young as 12.

Similar to other vaccines, specifically Pfizer, the Moderna shot has minimal side effects on adults who have received the shot and proves to be strong protection against the virus. The late stage trials for children aged 12-17 demonstrate results that correspond to the effects and protections the shot provides for adults – the vaccine was 93% effective after one dose and 100% after two.

The trials were conducted on 3,700 children, two-thirds of which received the Modern vaccine and one-third received a placebo shot. After two weeks, results showed that the vaccinated children did not experience any COVID-19 related symptoms in contrast to the placebo group, in which four of the children developed COVID-19.

On May 26, President Joe Biden announced that half of American adults have been vaccinated – marking the rapid progress being made toward ending the pandemic. After the Pfizer shot was authorized to be used on adolescents, a much larger portion of the American population was provided the opportunity to be vaccinated. Authorizing a second vaccine to be used on children ages 12-15 will increase vaccination rates as more shots are made available.

Moderna plans on submitting the results to the FDA in hopes of increasing production and distribution of the vaccine within the next few days. Many parents around the country are more optimistic now that multiple trials for both vaccines have been done and show the shots to be safe and effective for adolescents. The safe return of many middle and high school students is looking promising for the fall if vaccination in the U.S. goes as planned.

Article by Ania Szantruczek