Children under 16 are still not approved to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but with ongoing trials this may change soon.
“We should see probably recommendations for two mRNA vaccines for 12 and above before the summer, or maybe just around the summer,” predicts Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, professor of global health and infectious diseases, pediatric infectious diseases, and epidemiology and population health at Stanford University.
The two mRNA vaccines are from Pfizer and Moderna; Pfizer is approved for use in people 16 and older, while Moderna is only approved in adults.
Pfizer has already completed its clinical trials for 12 to 15-year-olds and submitted the data to the Food and Drug Administration.
“That is being reviewed right now, and I expect that we’ll hear something from the FDA in the next week or two. Maybe a little bit longer but certainly not much longer,” said Dr. Maldonado “And I think Moderna is on track to start submitting their data on 12 to 17-year-olds.”
That would give the country several months to vaccinate older children before the next school year begins, which gives extra assurance that children will be able to go back to school full time in the fall.
But younger children will likely have to wait quite a bit longer. Dr. Maldonado predicts that based on the current trials, no candidates will receive approval until early 2021.
“They’re gonna be the same vaccines, the question really is about dosing,” she explained.
Separate trials for children are necessary because children’s immune systems often respond differently than adults.
“We’re still not sure, given where we are with the studies, whether the younger kids – that is those under 12 - will need a smaller dose. Because young children tend to have more robust responses to vaccines on a dose per dose basis. So for example, they might have more swelling or tenderness at their vaccination site, they might have higher fevers. That’s just what happens with little kids.”
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