The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given emergency authorization to COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five and younger.

Vaccine makers Moderna and Pfizer each presented clinical-trial data to an FDA advisory panel on 15 June, showing that their mRNA-based vaccines are safe for children, and trigger antibody levels like those that have provided protection for adults. But researchers and parents still have questions about the real-world benefits of the vaccines, and which will perform best.

If the CDC green-lights the vaccines — which looks likely — parents will be eager for information about which to give their children. The most notable difference is in the number and timing of the doses. Moderna’s vaccine will be administered as two doses one month apart, each one-quarter of the amount given to adults. Pfizer’s will be given as three doses, with three weeks between the first two, and eight weeks between the second and third. Each shot is one-tenth the amount given to adults.

If the CDC green-lights the vaccines — which looks likely — parents will be eager for information about which to give their children. The most notable difference is in the number and timing of the doses. Moderna’s vaccine will be administered as two doses one month apart, each one-quarter of the amount given to adults. Pfizer’s will be given as three doses, with three weeks between the first two, and eight weeks between the second and third. Each shot is one-tenth the amount given to adults.

Read the full article from Nature.com here.