Daily US Times: Researchers in the United States and abroad are beginning to test the younger population and younger kids to make sure coronavirus vaccines are safe and work for each age. The first shots are going to adults who are most at risk from the Covid-19, but ending the coronavirus pandemic will require vaccinating children too.
“Kids should get the shot,” 9-year-old Marisol told The Associated Press (AP) this week after she and her twin sister participated in Pfizer’s new study of children under age 12.
“So that everything might be a bit more normal,” Marison said.
She is looking forward to when she can have sleepovers with friends again.
So far in the US, teen testing is furthest along: Moderna and Pfizer expect to release results soon showing how two doses of their vaccines performed in the 12 and older crowd.
Pfizer is currently authorized for use its vaccine starting at age 16; Moderna is for people 18 and older.
But younger children may need different doses than adults and teens. Moderna recently began a study similar to Pfizer’s new trial, as both vaccines makes hunt the right dosage of each shot for each age group as they work toward eventually vaccinating babies as young as 6 months.
AstraZeneca began a study in last month in Britain of its vaccine among 6- to 17-year-olds. Johnson & Johnson, another vaccine maker, is planning its own pediatric studies. And in China, Sinovac recently announced it has submitted preliminary data to Chinese authorities showing its vaccine is safe in children as young as 3.
Vaccine specialist Dr. Emmanuel “Chip” Walter, who is helping to lead the Pfizer study, said that getting this data, for all the vaccines being rolled out, is critical because countries must vaccinate children to achieve herd immunity.
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