28 Jun When Will Children Be Eligible For the COVID Vaccine?
For many parents today, there is one question on their mind when it comes to the current COVID-19 pandemic—when will my child be able to get vaccinated? When the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) in December 2020, they issued that authorization for the Pfizer vaccine in use of people age 16 years and older.
Only a few weeks ago, on May 10, the FDA extended this emergency use authorization to include kids age 12 to 15-years old. If your child is in this age range, then they are approved to receive the Pfizer vaccine. As of now, this is the only range of children who are approved to receive the vaccine, but clinical trials are underway for younger children.
Experts are hoping that the FDA will give EUA by the start of the school year so that eligible children can be fully vaccinated before returning to the classroom. Right now, clinical trials are underway to test the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in children under the age of 12.
Moderna is also undergoing phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials and seeing promising results in terms of safety and efficacy. They are looking to submit an EUA application to the FDA for vaccine use in the age group. Johnson and Johnson has also expanded its vaccine trial to include 12-17 year old children but has not released any further information about their trials.
So, What About Younger Children?
According to recent reports, Pfizer is currently recruiting children age 6 months to 11 years old for its pediatric vaccine study. According to a recent report from the company, they are planning on seeking EUA for its vaccine in children ages 2 to 11 by September, which could line up with back-to-school. Modern is also looking for possible emergency use authorization by early fall as well.
As for children in that 6 months to 2-year-old age range, Pfizer and Modern are both saying that you should expect possible EUA by early 2022.
The thing to remember is that these trials take time in order to make certain the vaccines are safe for each age group. The good news is, the early results are promising, and if everything stays on track, children of all ages could be approved for the vaccine by the end of the year. Parents simply need to wait and be cautious until their child’s time comes.
If you have more questions about the COVID vaccine and your child’s health during these uncertain times, Continuum Pediatrics is here to help. We know many parents have questions about the vaccine and what they can do as they wait for their child to become eligible. You can call our office directly to make an appointment at 817-617-8600 today.