Exclusive-Moderna COVID-19 shot could start being used in children, teens 'within weeks,' CEO says

FILE PHOTO: Walmart pharmacist holds a vial of the Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine inside a Walmart department store in West Haven, Connecticut, U.S., February 17, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar

(Reuters) - Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine could start to be used in children and teens in the United States within weeks, its chief executive said in an interview ahead of the Reuters Total Health conference, which will run virtually from Nov. 15-18.

Moderna CEO Staphane Bancel said based on dialogue with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, he believes his company's COVID-19 vaccine will be authorized for 12- to 17-year-olds in the next few weeks.