Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine in a study was found to be 100 percent effective in adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, and the company is set to seek FDA approval for this age group.
Moderna said Tuesday that in the phase 2/3 study that enrolled more than 3,700 participants, there were no COVID-19 cases reported among the group that received two doses of its vaccine, per CNBC. The vaccine was "generally well tolerated," and "no significant safety concerns have been identified to date," the company also said.
"We are encouraged that mRNA-1273 was highly effective at preventing COVID-19 in adolescents," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said. "It is particularly exciting to see that the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine can prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection."
Pfizer in March released data showing its COVID-19 vaccine was also 100 percent effective in adolescents aged 12 to 15, and in May, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccine for this age group. Moderna said Tuesday it's planning to submit data to the FDA to seek authorization for adolescents in early June.
"These look like promising results," pediatrician and vaccine expert Dr. Kristin Oliver told The New York Times. "The more vaccines we have to protect adolescents from COVID, the better."