The American Moderna announced that its vaccine against Covid-19 was highly effective in adolescents. – Steven Senne / AP / SIPA
Are 12-17 year olds soon vaccinated with Moderna? The American biotechnology company assured Tuesday that according to the complete results of clinical trials, its vaccine was “highly effective in preventing Covid-19 in adolescents”.
“We are going to submit these results to the FDA (the United States Medicines Agency) and regulators around the world in early June and apply for an authorization” to use his vaccine for this age group, said the boss of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, quoted in a press release. Another vaccine, that of Pfizer / BioNTech, is already authorized for adolescents in several countries, including the United States.
100% effective with two doses
The Moderna study involved more than 3,700 participants aged 12 to 17 in the United States, two-thirds of whom received the vaccine, and one-third received a placebo. “After two doses, no case of Covid-19 was observed in the vaccinated group (…) against four cases in the placebo group, resulting in an efficacy of the vaccine of 100% 14 days after the second dose”, declared Moderna in its press release.
After a dose, an efficacy of 93% was observed, specifies the company. The vaccine was “generally well tolerated” and “no concerns about its safety have been identified so far,” she said. The side effects observed were the same as in adults (pain at the site of the injection, fatigue, chills, etc.).