On Thursday, April 28, 2022, Moderna announced that it is seeking emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine to be used among children ages 6 months to 5 years.
The company will finish submitting data supporting its position to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by May 9. From there, the FDA is expected to make a decision by June.
Moderna is the first drug manufacturer to request that its vaccine be used for children under age 6. This may be welcome news for some parents whose young children are the only Americans without COVID-19 vaccine eligibility.
Having a vaccine authorized for this age group could also provide peace of mind for parents who’ve been keeping their children out of school or other group activities due to COVID-19 fears.
What’s Next?
The FDA will review the data submitted by Moderna and make its decision in the coming months. Specifically, the FDA said it will have its independent panel of drug experts evaluate the data before potential authorization.
In the meantime, parents of young children can continue to consider using COVID-19 preventive measures, as informed by federal, state and local public health guidance. Certain preventive measures may be more beneficial than others depending on the COVID-19 infection rate in a given community.
Parents may also consider getting vaccinated themselves, if they haven’t already. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone ages 5 and older get vaccinated to help protect against COVID-19.
Individuals ages 18 and older are currently eligible to receive the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine, while individuals ages 5 and older are able to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Parents interested in learning more about vaccinations should reach out to their family doctors or children’s pediatricians.
Visit the CDC’s website for more information about how families can stay protected against COVID-19.
For a copy of this notice, click here: Moderna Requests FDA Vaccine Authorization for Children Under Age 6