Moderna Effective for Ages 12-17... Approval Application Next Month

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The COVID-19 vaccine developed by the U.S. pharmaceutical company Moderna has been shown to be effective in clinical trials for adolescents aged 12 to 17. It is expected to become the second vaccine available for use in adolescents, following Pfizer.

Stefan Bancel, CEO of Moderna, stated in a press release on the 25th (local time), "We are encouraged by the fact that our vaccine is highly effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in adolescents."

In Moderna's clinical trial involving 3,732 adolescents aged 12 to 17, none of the vaccinated participants contracted the virus, while 4 infections occurred in the placebo group.

Moderna plans to apply for emergency use authorization for the 12 to 17 age group from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other regulatory agencies worldwide early next month.

Major foreign media outlets have predicted that considering it took the FDA one month to approve Pfizer's vaccine for use in 12 to 15-year-olds, Moderna is likely to receive approval by early July.

Following Pfizer, Moderna's lowering of the vaccine administration age is expected to accelerate countries' efforts to achieve herd immunity.

Moderna is currently conducting clinical trials for children aged 6 months to 11 years.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.