[ad_1]
When will a Covid-19 vaccine for children be available?
With the vaccines now being administered to protect against Covid-19, we have taken a big step toward slowing down the virus that causes this deadly disease.
The first vaccines released are licensed for use in adults and adolescents who are at least 16 years old.
High-risk groups, such as frontline workers and seniors, are first in line to receive vaccines, and other adults and teens are likely to have access later this spring (March through May 2021 in the United States).
Research shows that these new vaccines are remarkably effective and safe.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges older teens and adults to get the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to them.
However, before Covid-19 vaccines are available to younger adolescents and children, clinical trials need to be completed.
This is to ensure that the vaccines are safe and effective for these age groups.
Children are not little adults; We cannot just assume that a vaccine will have the same effect on a child as on someone older.
While there are current studies that include children up to 12 years of age, it is critical that children of all ages are included in more trials as soon as possible.
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to take a terrible toll on children’s lives.
We need more data on vaccines for children so that they can be protected from this virus and the pandemic can be controlled.
Once this information is available, the AAP will review it and make vaccine recommendations for children and adolescents.
Timing of vaccine availability will depend on the results of planned or ongoing clinical trials of the vaccine in adolescents and children.
But based on the current pace of research, it may be possible to have a vaccine for at least some groups of children and adolescents before the 2021-22 school year begins in the US (in September).
Once a vaccine is shown to be safe and effective in children, health authorities, including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the AAP, will recommend when and how children should receive the vaccine.
In the meantime, make sure your children are up-to-date on their measles, flu, whooping cough, and any other vaccinations your pediatrician recommends.
Falling vaccination rates can lead to new outbreaks of dangerous diseases.
And that’s the last thing anyone needs besides Covid-19.
I look forward to the day when all children can safely spend time with friends, travel with their families, and enjoy their communities, thanks to safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines and other measures that reduce the transmission of the virus. – By Dr. James D. Campbell / Tribune News Service
Dr. James D. Campbell is a pediatric infectious disease specialist in the US and a member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases.
[ad_2]
