Moderna claims to have doses of COVID-19 vaccine safe for pre-schoolers, toddlers and babies.
The company announced it soon plans to submit data to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization.
Pfizer plans to submit data on vaccine for children under 5-years-old next month.
"The efficacy we saw in children was lower, but it was about the same as what we've observed in adults after two doses," said Stephen Hodge, president of Moderna.
Plenty of parents in the Tri-State wondered why it took so long.
"In pediatrics we hear that a lot," Dr. Josh Schaffzin, director of infection prevention and control for Cincinnati Children's Hospital said. "We see that a lot. It's like when you're in the airport and they cancel your flight, right. You get really frustrated. I can't believe you canceled my flight. But what if they canceled it because there was something mechanically wrong with the airplane and they're essentially saving your life?"
With new infections trending down and COVID-19 restrictions easing, research by John Hopkins University published Wednesday found that children younger than 4-years-old who catch coronavirus "mount robust antibody responses ... more than 10-fold higher than adults."
Five months after FDA regulators allowed older children to receive the vaccine, the wait for an approved shot for Hannah Harrison's three-year-old son gives her pause.
"Wondering what the side effects will be (in the) long run (and) short run," she said. "Really what we're doing is we're transitioning from pandemic to endemic," Dr. Schaffzin said. "Endemic meaning coronavirus is here to stay just like other respiratory virus. It's the analogy of wearing a raincoat or using an umbrella. It's a personal decision that has to do with comfort level."
