Moderna to begin coronavirus vaccine trials on children in US and Canada
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In December, Moderna had begun testing mRNA-1273 in adolescents between 12 and 18 years old.
US manufacturer Moderna has begun studying its coronavirus vaccine in children aged six months to 12 years old as the company informed that it plans to enroll children in the US and Canada for the trial.
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"We are pleased to begin this Phase 2/3 study of mRNA-1273 in healthy children in the US and Canada," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said.
Moderna's testing comes even as schools across the US are under pressure to reopen fully amid surging coronavirus infections in the country. At least 17.8 million adults have received the Moderna vaccine in the United States, according to the company.
"This pediatric study will help us assess the potential safety and immunogenicity of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate in this important younger age population," Bancel added.
In December, Moderna had begun testing mRNA-1273 in adolescents between 12 and 18 years old. Moderna had begun dosing first participants in a study testing coronavirus booster vaccine candidates targeting the South African variant known as B.1.351.
According to the company, the booster vaccine candidates mRNA-1273.351 will be tested in a trial of both variant-specific shot and multivalent shot.
The United States is the worst-hit country to be hit by the virus, with over 29 million cases and more than 536,880 fatalities, although recent reports have indicated that infections have been going down ever since the country began its vaccination drive.
The country has cranked up its vaccination effort and has been currently inoculating around 2.2 million people per day with 65 per cent of Americans who are 65 and older having got their first shot.