Warren County families react to a potential COVID-19 Moderna vaccine for children under age 6

Quetta Evans from Warren County described to ABC11 the emotional and physical toll of COVID-19 last year on her body, her husband's, and the devastating loss of her brother-in-law and 90-year-old father from the virus--all at once.

"I had a total meltdown," Evans said. "I know it won't nothing but the grace of God that spared me and my husband."

The 62-year-old now vaccinated and boosted, with mounting medical bills, still suffers from long term symptoms: lack of energy, shortness of breath, and takes medication for heart issues.

When we told her Moderna is taking steps to get a smaller dose of the vaccine approved for FDA emergency use for children under the age of 6, she thought about her grandchildren and what it could mean for them.

"I know they have parents, but I would stress to them please get them vaccinated because I don't think a child under the age of six could handle what we went through," Evans said.

The potential vaccine for toddlers and babies would be groundbreaking and comes at a time when the CDC says a new variant of COVID, B.A.2 is increasing nationwide.

According to the state health department, Omicron is still the dominate strain, and hospital rates are dropping.

"What we have also seen over time the disparities have started to minimize and I think that's a credit as well to how many people are getting vaccinated," said UNC professor of medicine with the division of Infectious Diseases Dr. David Wohl. "This would reduce substantially the number of kids who would get sick with COVID-19."

Anjeanette Barrett, a mom of 4 kids from Warren County, represents some families who remain distrustful of any COVID vaccines.

"Not right now." Barrett said. "I'm too scared to get them vaccinated and myself."

NC DHHS data shows 76 percent of adults are vaccinated, and 38 percent of kids and teens have received a vaccine.