March 16 (Reuters) – Moderna Inc. began dosing patients in a mid-to-late-stage study of its COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273, in children aged six months to less than 12 years, the company said Tuesday. said.
The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of two doses of mRNA-1273 given 28 days apart, and plans to enroll approximately 6,750 children in the United States and Canada.
The vaccine has already been approved for emergency use in Americans 18 years and older.
In a separate study that began in December, Moderna also tested mRNA-1273 in adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age.
The latest study is being conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). (Reported by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Edited by Shailesh Kuber)