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Moderna said on Wednesday that it would seek emergency authorization of its coronavirus vaccine for children younger than 6, after interim results from its clinical trial showed that volunteers in that age group had a similar immune response to young adults when given a dose one-fourth as strong.

But the company said the vaccine proved only about 44% effective in preventing symptomatic illness among children 6 months to 2 years old, and 37% effective in children 2 through 5.

Dr. Jacqueline Miller, the firm’s senior vice president for infectious diseases, said the relatively low level of protection demonstrated the ability of the omicron variant to evade the vaccine’s shield. Nonetheless, she said, “what we have seen is a successful trial.”

“What I will say is 37.5% and 43.7% are higher than zero,” she said. “If I were the parent of a young child, I would want there to be some protection on board, especially if we see another wave of infections.”