• The FDA has approved the COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents, which means that children under the age of 12 can now get the COVID-19 vaccine.
• But parents with young children may wonder when their child can get the vaccine.
• Vaccine studies for young children are underway, with results possible in early fall

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly half of people in the United States have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, bringing the country closer to the end of the pandemic. Translate.

But a large portion of the population remains unvaccinated. Many of them are children and adolescents who are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Until this week.

On May 10, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents 12 years of age and younger.

This development, coupled with the widespread availability of doses of the vaccine in the United States, will help the country regain its safety sooner.

Dr Walter Dehority, associate professor of pediatrics, said: “The more children get vaccinated, the easier it will be for our communities to safely reopen and reopen schools and sports. back to school after school.” at the University of New Mexico.

Other COVID-19 vaccines may be approved for minors in the next few months.

However, younger children will have to wait longer – possibly early fall or late in the year – because studies for this age group are starting to pick up speed.

Here’s a breakdown of where the COVID-19 vaccine is for children and teens

Teenagers 12-16 years old

Pfizer-BioNTech: Now Approved

The FDA granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) in December 2020 for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in people 16 years of age and older.

On May 10, the FDA multi-generation EUA included children 12 to 15 years of age.

This was based on data released by the companies in March showing that the vaccine is highly effective against symptomatic coronavirus infections in this age group.

The CDC’s Vaccine Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet May 12 to discuss whether to recommend vaccination for young adolescents.

Andi Shane, head of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine, said May 11 during a Facebook Live event that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be made available to children aged 12 to 12. 15 years old soon after the CDC advisory committee made its decision.

“Hopefully on Thursday morning the vaccine will start [cho nhóm tuổi này], maybe even earlier,” she said.

Additionally, “one of the advantages of e-registering is being able to make appointments ahead of time, and many places are starting to do that now.”

Moderna-NIAID: Emergency use allowed early this summer

The FDA issued an EUA in December for the Moderna-NIAID vaccine in people 18 years of age and older.

Moderna announced in an initial analysis of phase 2 and 3 results that its clinical trial found the vaccine to be effective against symptomatic coronavirus infection in children aged 12 to 17 years. %.

The company has not said when it will submit an EUA application to the FDA to use the vaccine in this age group.

This will depend on when the company submits the data to the FDA and when the agency and CDC review the results.

Johnson and johnson ( janseen ): In clinical trial

The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine has FDA emergency authorization for use by people 18 years of age and older.

The company expanded its vaccine trial in April to 12 to 17 year olds. The company has not announced when they expect results from this study

Children from 2 to 11 years old

Dehority, who is leading the Moderna children’s COVID-19 vaccine trial at the University of New Mexico, said vaccine trials in children and adolescents are similar in many ways to studies aimed at children. for adults, except for a few key differences.

“We have to get parental consent before kids can participate. Children who are old enough also have to agree to participate on their own,” he said.

Also, “we’ll usually go a little slower with what we call a ‘dosage study,’ because children are not little adults,” he said. “We don’t know the dosage [vắc-xin] will work, so we usually start with a lower dosage and gradually increase it until we find the right level.”

Pfizer- BioNTech: Urgent use allowed early this fall

Pfizer is currently recruiting children 6 months to 11 years old to work on its children’s vaccines.

The company expects to seek an EUA for its vaccine for children ages 2 to 11 in September, it said in an earnings call in early May.

The exact timing will depend on how quickly the company can complete research in this age group.

Mordena: Emergency use allowed early this fall

Moderna is also recruiting children aged 6 months to 11 years old to test the vaccine for children.

The company hasn’t said when the results from this trial will be available, but if it follows a similar timeline as Pfizer, the company could request an EUA for children ages 2 to 11 as early as fall. .

Children from 6 months to 2 years old

Pfizer: Permission for emergency use by the end of 2021

Pfizer’s ongoing pediatric vaccine trial includes children 6 months to 2 years of age.

The company expects to request an EUA for this age group in the final quarter of 2021, the company said during its earnings call last week.

Again, this timeline may change as research progresses.

Moderna: Permission for emergency use by the end of 2021

Moderna is also recruiting younger children to test the vaccine for children.

The company hasn’t said when it will have results from this trial, but if it follows a similar timeline as Pfizer, an EUA request for this age group could happen by the end of the year.

As vaccine trials in younger children get underway, pediatricians, parents and public health officials eagerly await the results.

“It can’t be early to see a vaccine being developed in people 12 to 15 years old,” said Dr. Evan Anderson, professor of medicine and pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. Facebook Live event.

“And we look forward to having the data to support our ability to improve vaccines for young children, in the near future.”

Links: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/when-can-children-under-12-get-the-covid-19-vaccine-heres-what-to-know

Translator: Kim Luan

The article is self-translated and edited by ykhoa.org – please do not reup without permission!