Pharmaceutical company Moderna said Tuesday that its COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective among teenagers ages 12 to 17.
Moderna said a recent study with about 3,700 participants in that age group found no cases of COVID-19 among those who had taken the two doses of the vaccine. The vaccine had an efficacy of 93% starting 14 days after the first dose was administered, the company said.
Moderna said it will submit the results of the study to the Food and Drug Administration and regulators in other countries next month.
If it receives authorization from the FDA, Moderna’s vaccine would be the second one cleared for administration among teenagers. Earlier this month, the FDA expanded eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine to kids ages 12 to 15.
According to The Texas Tribune, more than 100,000 Texas children in that age group – or about 6% of children in the state – have gotten the Pfizer vaccine since it got federal approval on May 13.
