Millions of Americans have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, but, so far, those doses have been limited to adults. However, now, one pharmaceutical company is starting COVID-19 vaccine trials in children.
Moderna had been testing teens in its clinical trials but, it's now moving on to testing children under 12 and babies at as young as six months old.
As Moderna enters this new clinical trial phase, its researchers are still testing the vaccine in teens between the ages of 13 and 17. Experts say the fact that the company is moving on to testing in younger children could indicate that the teen trials are proving to be safe and effective.
Clinical trials are happening right now at the University of Maryland. They are still accepting participants right now. You can click here for more information on participating in the study.
In this latest trial involving younger children, there will be more concerns about safety. Scientists will look at how the vaccine affects children and whether the dosage needs to change for younger kids, since their bodies are smaller.
Children generally experience less severe side effects when they do become infected with coronavirus, but experts say it's still important for kids to be vaccinated because it helps lower the chances of spread.
Moderna is not the only vaccine maker testing on children. Pfizer is testing its vaccine on kids between the ages of 12 and 15, and Johnson and Johnson plans to start testing on children under the age of 18 by September.
