Moderna seeks to be 1st with COVID-19 vaccine for littlest kids

Rochester, New York — Moderna is looking to be the first company to offer the COVID vaccine to kids under 5-years-old.

According to Dr. Tracy Maier with ‘Penn-Fair Pediatrics’, COVID-19 is not going away: it’s something we’re going to be living with for some time into the future. Vaccination, Maier says, is still very important at this phase. COVID is a virus, and we know from other viruses like the flu, that they mutate quickly. So, there will be different variants of COVID as we go forward.

Maier feels the vaccine is one of the best tools we have to fight this virus off, not only that but to keep things open and running. Getting kids under 5 vaccinated will be one more line of defense, she said.

According to Dr. Maier, there are some parents should start asking if and when the Moderna vaccine is approved for kids under 5.

“You want to ask things about, is it safe? Are there any long-term side effects? What would be the difference between my child getting the vaccine and actually getting COVID itself?” Dr. Maier said. “Again, it depends on circumstances. If the child is at high risk because they have an underlying medical condition, then I might say ‘okay, let’s go ahead with this when it’s approved for your age group.”

According to Maier, it’s important to have an ‘open conversation’ with your pediatrician to figure out what is best for your child.