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(WIVB) — Moderna has begun testing a COVID-19 vaccine on children.

“We are pleased to begin this Phase 2/3 study of mRNA-1273 in healthy children in the U.S. and Canada and we thank NIAID and BARDA for their collaboration,” said Stéphane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna. “It is humbling to know that 17.8 million adults in the U.S. have received the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine to date. We are encouraged by the primary analysis of the Phase 3 COVE study of mRNA-1273 in adults ages 18 and above and this pediatric study will help us assess the potential safety and immunogenicity of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate in this important younger age population.”

The first participants in this second phase of the vaccine study are at least 6 months old, but younger than 12 years old. In this study, the children are given two doses, 28 days apart. All of the children who receive the vaccine are healthy.

Moderna is looking to test it on 6,750 children. The KidCOVE study provides more information on the study and shows if a child is eligible to participate.

The entire study is expected to last 14 months.