Early data shows that children under six developed high levels of antiviral antibodies through receiving vaccines with small doses of the Moderna type.

The Moderna vaccine for children under six contains a quarter of the dose given to adults.

Experts say early trial data is promising news in our ongoing fight against COVID-19.

“As we continue to give COVID-19 vaccines to the general population, Moderna reports promising interim results when it comes to vaccines for toddlers, infants, and preschoolers.”

In the same context, the small-dose vaccine still requires regulatory approval, with the final decision on the use of the vaccine awaited from the pharmaceutical company.

For his part, vaccine expert Dr. Omar Khan from the University of Toronto says early trial results provide hope for those hoping to get vaccines for their children.

"The trials conducted on toddlers were done when Omicron was present and showed it provides good protection against infection. But the really good thing is that vaccinated individuals apparently did not have any severe illness."

Early results from the Moderna study found that children under six developed high levels of antiviral antibodies from vaccines containing a quarter of the adult dose - although it was less effective against the Omicron variant than previous mutations.

Dr. Stephen Hoge, CEO of Moderna, told The Associated Press, “The vaccine provides the same level of protection against COVID for toddlers as for adults. We believe this is good news.”

It is noteworthy that children under five are essentially the only group in Canada currently ineligible to receive the vaccine.

Dr. Omar Khan says, "Although case numbers in Canada have improved over the past several months, it is important to get the latest vaccination for this vulnerable group."

"One of the big problems we face is that when this group gets infected, they can still spread it. With the help of vaccination, this can help clear the infection faster, meaning they will not transmit it as much. This will really help us combat the cycle of transmission, infection, and mutations."

Vaccines and virus transmission

When it comes to those who doubt the vaccine, Khan says it is important for people to know that these medicines are tested to the highest standards.

He points out that vaccines are always tested in older groups first. Once their safety is established, testing is then conducted on smaller groups, then younger people.

"By the time it reaches toddlers, it has been proven to be highly effective and safe for all other age groups. This is the only way we can conduct a clinical trial on toddlers - you have to have compelling evidence of safety and efficacy, and that is why this is allowed to proceed," Khan explained. "Of course, all these trials primarily aim to ensure safety and secondarily to look for efficacy."

Khan says, “Once the data is submitted to Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, regulators will take a close look through the numbers, and only when they approve will the vaccine be authorized for the younger age group.”

Meanwhile, Pfizer is testing smaller doses for children under five but had to add a third dose to its study when two doses were not proven strong enough. These results are expected to appear in early April.

Khan points out that both Pfizer and Moderna are working on "updated vaccines specifically for Omicron," which could also change things.

Moderna is expected to ask regulators in the United States and Europe to review and license the vaccine it provides for children under six in the coming weeks. It is unclear when it will do the same in Canada.

It is worth mentioning that the Moderna vaccine for children aged 6 to 11 is now approved for use in Canada.

Edited by: Dima Abu Khair