Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine for infants and toddlers won the support of a panel of U.S. regulatory advisers, putting parents one step closer to being able to protect their youngest against COVID-19 for the first time.
The 21-member committee advising the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously in favor of Moderna’s two-dose vaccine for youngsters ages six months through 5 years. The panel will vote on Pfizer’s three-dose vaccine for children six months through 4 years later Wednesday. The FDA doesn’t have to follow the recommendations of its advisory panels, but it usually does.
An authorized vaccine for this age group would be welcome news for parents whose youngsters are the last remaining age group with no cleared vaccine. While children are less likely than adults to experience the worst outcomes of COVID-19, the FDA warned that the rate of hospitalization for children, particularly during the omicron wave, has been “quite troubling.”
