SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – More children across the U.S. may soon be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Moderna is asking the Food and Drug Administration to approve its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 6.
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It comes after a similar request from Pfizer was delayed so the company could gather more data about the vaccine’s effectiveness.
“I think it’s a good move by Moderna and Pfizer to prepare for what happens if this virus gets worse. It’s really not for today as much it is for the future,” Seminole County Emergency Medical Services Director Dr. Todd Husty said.
While cases of COVID-19 are trending in other parts of the U.S., Husty explained the number of hospitalizations, and even deaths, remain low in Florida.
“Delta was a bad virus and it caused a lot of illness, even some in children. Today we have omicron and BA.1 and BA.2 and it’s not as bad of a virus,” he said.
While Moderna seeks approval from the FDA, children ages 5 and older can still get vaccinated using Pfizer’s COVID-19 shot.
“Nobody can tell us what this virus is going to do in three months. So being prepared is a good idea. So I think it’s great that they’re doing it but I’m not sure if it’s a game changer for all of us,” Husty said.
The FDA said Moderna still has to submit some additional data to complete it’s request for the pediatric vaccines before meeting with FDA advisers.