Moderna has revealed that its Covid-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children as young at 12 years old.

Pharmaceutical company Moderna has confirmed that its Covid-19 vaccine is safe and highly effective in children aged 12 to 17.

This would mean that a second Covid-19 vaccine would now be available for the age group if it is authorised for use, in addition to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Moderna said its Phase 2/3 clinical trial included more than 3,700 participants, half of which received the vaccine, the other half receiving a placebo.

The company said there were only four cases of Covid-19 infections among the placebo group, compared with no infections among the vaccinated group, meaning the jab was 100 percent effective.

When Moderna looked for milder cases of Covid-19 after just the first dose of the vaccine, the shot was shown to be 93 percent effective against any infection and not just symptomatic illness.

“We are encouraged” that the vaccine “was highly effective at preventing Covid-19 in adolescents,” said Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel in a statement.

Read also: Children aged 12 to 15 can now take Covid-19 vaccine in Qatar

In May, Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said parents were now able to register their 12 to 15 year-old children to take the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine through the ministry’s website.

This came after Pfizer-BioNTech submitted a request to the FDA to expand the emergency use authorisation of its Covid-19 vaccine, enabling kids aged 12 to 15 to receive the injection.

Pfizer-BioNTech trials to ensure the safety of vaccines for adolescents have been conducted in recent months, with results showing no symptomatic infections among vaccinated children among the aforementioned age range.

According to the findings, the shot appeared to be extremely effective on kids. Pfizer said children produced “strong antibodies” and experienced no serious side effects.