As Moderna Develops COVID-19 Vaccine For Children, Arizona Kids Volunteer

Published: Wednesday, April 14, 2021 - 2:50pm

Drugmaker Moderna is continuing to research the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine for children, and Arizona is one of the places where those trials are taking place.

Dr. Steve Plimpton is principal investigator in the Phoenix vaccine trials. He said Arizona parents have been eager to sign their kids up.

"We literally have 1,000 on the books to set up appointments," Plimpton said. "But we only have 300 so far on the books because of the safety breaks that we have to take." 

Plimpton said so far, the results look promising for kids between the ages of 6 months and 12 years.

“I’m very confident that it’s going to show that it’s effective, that it gives the kids the neutralizing antibodies against COVID-19 and eventually we’ll have the numbers to go to the FDA for emergency approval,” Plimpton said. 

Plimpton said he’s optimistic the Moderna may be ready to seek authorization for a children's vaccine by this summer. 

→ Q&AZ: What You Need To Know About Getting The Coronavirus Vaccine In Arizona

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