When Will COVID Vaccines Be Ready for Kids?

Update April 20, 2023: COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 years of age are available in the U.S. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is authorized for children ages 6 months to 4 years, while the Moderna vaccine is authorized for those 6 months to 5 years.

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Vaccines for COVID-19 are an important tool to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19, but unfortunately are not yet authorized for children under the age of 16 in most countries.

Clinical trials are underway to study the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in children of different ages. Based on the initial results of clinical trials, Moderna expects to request emergency use authorization for its vaccine to be extended to adolescents as young as 12 by early summer of 2021, and Pfizer expects to request emergency use authorization for adolescents as young as 12 by early fall. Moderna is also studying its vaccine in children ages 6 months to 11 years.

The timeline for authorization of vaccines for younger children is still unclear and will depend on the results of ongoing clinical trials. While children are generally less likely to develop severe illness from COVID-19 compared to adults, they can still become seriously ill, be hospitalized, and die from COVID-19. Until vaccines are available for children, it is important to continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing masks, social distancing, and avoiding large gatherings.