Moderna to file for EUA of COVID-19 shot for very young kids by April end

Vial and sryinge are seen in front of displayed Moderna logo
A vial and sryinge are seen in front of a displayed Moderna logo in this illustration taken January 11, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

April 20 (Reuters) - Moderna (MRNA.O) plans to submit an application to the U.S. health regulator for emergency use authorization (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine among kids between the ages of six months to five years by end of the month, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The Omicron variant was predominant during Moderna's pediatric trial, and the drugmaker said two doses were around 38% effective in preventing infections in 2 to 5-year-olds and 44% effective for children aged 6 months to under 2 years.

Last week, Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech (22UAy.DE) said a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine produced significant protection against the Omicron variant in healthy children from ages 5 to 11. read more

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration authorized a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 and those aged 5 through 11 who are immunocompromised. read more

Reporting by Sabahatjahan Contractor and Amruta Khandekar; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri

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