The vaccine, created by the National Institutes of Health and made by Moderna, already has begun final testing in a study that is seeking 30,000 volunteers, including older ones.
But Moderna offered a first public peek of the earlier test results -- in 10 people ages 56 to 70, and 10 over 70 -- at a meeting of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The vaccine revved up the older adults' immune systems similarly to earlier vaccine tests in adults younger than 55, the company data shows. Side effects likewise were similarly mild among the age groups.
U.S. health officials say they hope to start offering vaccinations around the end of the year, but scientists caution there are no guarantees.
Hundreds of nursing homes still aren't allowing visitation amid coronavirus pandemic
Hundreds of nursing homes still aren't allowing visitation
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