A new study conducted by a group of scientists has found that Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine produces strong neutralizing antibody responses to the virus in baby rhesus macaques without any adverse effects. The strong immune response obtained by the vaccines in 16 baby rhesus macaques persisted for 22 weeks, the results published in Science Immunology said.

To evaluate SARS-CoV-2 infant vaccination, the researchers immunized two groups of 8 infant rhesus macaques at 2.2 months of age and 4 weeks later. Each animal received either a preclinical version of the Moderna mRNA vaccine or a protein-based vaccine developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), US, the report said.

“The level of potent antibodies we observed were comparable to what has been seen in adult macaques, even though the doses were 30 micrograms instead of the 100 microgram adult doses,” said one of the author Kristina De Paris, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of North Carolina.

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The researchers are conducting further challenge studies to better understand the potential protection of the vaccines. Moderna had last month said that its Covid-19 vaccine strongly protects kids as young as 12. The company has also filed an application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European and Canadian regulators for an emergency use authorization for its vaccine to be given to adolescents. Both Pfizer and Moderna have begun testing for younger children, from age 11 to 6-month-old babies.