Moderna Says Its COVID-19 Vaccine Is 96% Effective In Teens

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is 96% effective in teenagers 12- to 17-years-old, the drugmaker said Thursday. The company announced results of the Phase 2 trial in reporting first-quarter earnings. Its vaccine generated $1.7 billion in revenue in its fiscal first quarter.

Evidence that Moderna's vaccine is effective in teens comes as rival Pfizer is expected to receive federal authorization by early next week to use its COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents. Federal approval of one or more vaccines against the disease could enable many American middle and high school students to be vaccinated before the start of the 2021-22 school year. 

Currently, COVID-19 vaccines are only approved for use in people 16 and older. 

Moderna said that its vaccine trial for younger people, which had more than 3,200 participants, included 12 cases that started 14 days after the first dose. The company said no serious side effects were found, although common side effects included pain at the injection site and, after the second dose of vaccine, headache, fatigue, myalgia and chills. 

The pharmaceutical firm said it's continuing to collect data in the teen trial and "is in discussions with regulators about a potential amendment to its regulatory filings."