Moderna says preliminary data shows its vaccine induces immune response in young children

According to preliminary data, the Moderna coronavirus vaccine induces a strong immune response in children aged 6 to 11, the company announced on Monday.

Data showed that the vaccine produced antibodies in children of that age group that were up to 112 times higher than those seen in adults, according to the company in a statement.

Moderna’s CEO, Stéphane Bancel, stated that the company is encouraged by the immune response and safety profile of the young cohort that received the vaccine.

“We look forward to filing with regulators globally and remain committed to doing our part to help end the COVID-19 pandemic with a vaccine for adults and children of all ages,” he said.

Meanwhile, Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, has expressed optimism that children 5 to 11 could start getting vaccinated against the coronavirus as soon as early November.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee is set to meet Tuesday to discuss a request from Pfizer and BioNTech to allow their lower-dose pediatric coronavirus vaccine to be administered to 5- to 11-year-olds.

The FDA’s decision will then be examined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fauci said Sunday on ABC News’s “This Week.”

“So, if all goes well . . . it’s entirely possible, if not very likely” that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be available to that age group “within the first week or two of November,” he said