Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Kids Age 6 To 11 Have Strong Immune Response To Vaccine, Moderna Says
Reuters: Moderna Says Its Covid Vaccine Has Strong Results In Children Ages 6 To 11
Moderna Inc. said on Monday its Covid-19 vaccine generated a strong immune response and was generally well-tolerated in children ages 6 to 11, citing interim data from a study. The company said it planned to submit the data to U.S., European and other regulators soon. (10/25)
The New York Times: Moderna Says Vaccine Produces Powerful Immune Response In Those 6 Through 11
The coronavirus vaccine made by Moderna is safe and produces a powerful immune response in children 6 through 11, the company said on Monday. One month after immunization was complete, the children in Moderna’s trial had antibody levels that were 1.5 times higher than those seen in young adults, the company said. Moderna did not release the full data, nor are the results published in a peer-reviewed journal. The results were announced one day before an advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to review data for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children 5 through 11. (Mandavilli, 10/25)
Stat: Tracking The FDA Advisory Panel Meeting On Covid-19 Vaccines For Kids
The moment some parents have been anxiously awaiting for months is almost here: The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 will likely be authorized for use in the next week, after completion of a four-step process that begins today.It is also a moment some portion of parents has been dreading for months. And over the weekend, they made their concerns known to experts on the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccines advisory committee, which meets today to review the evidence on the Pfizer vaccine’s safety and efficacy in kids ages 5 to 11. Members of the the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) were deluged by an organized email campaign urging them not to recommend the vaccine. (Branswell and Herper, 10/26)
Houston Chronicle: Texas Pre-Orders 1.3 Million Doses Of COVID Vaccine For 5- To 11-Year-Olds
More than 1.3 million doses of the pediatric Pfizer COVID vaccine likely will head to Texas providers over the next few weeks, as federal health officials are expected to greenlight the shots for 5- to 11-year-olds within days. The state has started pre-ordering the shots, which will start to ship as soon as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants emergency use authorization for the vaccine. An advisory panel will meet Tuesday on the matter, with full consideration following shortly after. (Harris, 10/25)
