Moderna began Covid-19 vaccine trials on children aged between six months and 12 years, according to a statement on Tuesday.

The first participants were administered doses in the Phase 2/3 study, called the KidCOVE study, the US pharmaceutical and biotechnology said.

“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,” said CEO Stephane Bancel.

He noted that 17.8 million adults in the US have so far received Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Out of 135.8 million distributed doses in the US, 109 million have been administered as of early Monday. But so far, only 38.3 million people, or 11.5 percent of the US population, have gotten two doses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

More than 29.4 million cases have been recorded in the US since the start of the pandemic, with over 535,000 deaths, according to Maryland’s Johns Hopkins University.

Global cases have topped 120 million, while 2.6 million have lost their lives. (PNA)