BALTIMORE (WMAR) — A vaccine for children under age six is on the horizon. Wednesday, Moderna released interim trial results that show the two-dose series is safe and effective for children ages 6 months to 5 years.
After the disappointment when Pfizer delayed it’s vaccine roll out for kids, this a huge relief for many parents.
“I’m just excited that it will allows to do more without the anxiety of ‘Is my child going to get COVID if we do this thing?’,” said Baltimore County mom Emily Gordon.
“Having that extra layer of protection for them against COVID will definitely open up some things for us, some opportunities and activities that we’re going to feel more comfortable doing,” said Howard County mom Jamie Stavanski.
Both moms are eager to get the vaccine for their kids once authorized.
“They get all their other vaccinations for various other diseases so why not this one?,” said Stavanski.
Moderna said data showed kids’ immune response was just as good as adults in the original study.
“Having antibodies that are just as high as the adult antibodies means it’s very likely they will have the same protect the adults had,” said Dr. James Campbell. “It’s really exciting what we’ve seen so far.”
Dr. Campbell is the principal investigator for the pediatric trials at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
He said one of the main skepticism's he’s heard about the vaccine is that it’s not necessary because COVID is not as severe in children. He admits that’s true when comparing it to COVID in adults but he said it’s quite severe when compared to other diseases in kids.
“There have been over 1,000 children who have died in the last two years across the United States from COVID so that’s a higher number than other infections. It’s higher than influenza. It’s higher than most of the things we vaccinate against,” said Dr. Campbell.
Data also showed the vaccine was not that effective in preventing infections caused by omicron, which is also consistent with how vaccinated adults were impacted too. Moderna is planning to evaluate a booster shot for this age group to target omicron. Parents are still ready for any protection it can offer.
“We still are cautious and still will use the same caution with our son but it eases the mind a little to know that even if he did get it, the symptoms probably wouldn’t be as severe,” said Gordon.
Dr. Campbell expects all of the data to be released in a few weeks in then FDA emergency use authorization would follow sometime this spring.
Last month, the FDA postponed a meeting to consider Pfizer’s vaccine for children because two doses weren’t effective and requested data on third doses. That’s expected in early April.
