The first U.S. vaccines against Covid-19 are expected to be given in clinics in December, and states are developing plans to find out who should be vaccinated first.
But there is no important group: children.
While two vaccines for adult use in the United States are expected to be phased out soon, testing is only now beginning with children and only with adolescents. There are still many unknowns.
As a pharmacist and infectious disease professor who helps control inpatients with Covid-19, I often hear questions about vaccines. This is what we know and do not know in response to some common questions about vaccinating children against Covid-19.
1. When can my child be vaccinated?
At this time, it seems unlikely that a vaccine for children will be prepared before the start of the next school year in August.
Trials in adults with the two main vaccines have had promising results. On December 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee recommended that the FDA authorize the Pfizer vaccine for people 16 years of age or older, although there were some concerns about the inclusion of 16 and 17 year olds without further data. The British government has already vaccinated people aged 16 and over and Canada has authorized the vaccine for the same age group.
But clinical trials with children are just beginning.
Pfizer, which works with German BioNTech, extended Covid-19 vaccine testing to children 12 and older only in October. The other leading vaccine manufacturer, Moderna, announced on Dec. 2 that it planned to begin testing for the Covid-19 vaccine in children ages 12 to 17 soon.
The efficacy and safety of the vaccine will need to be evaluated for each age group and testing for infants, young children, or children in the U.S. has not been initiated.
Clinical trials are designed to ensure that the vaccine is safe and effective. It usually takes 10 to 15 years from the start of development until the vaccine is licensed, but Covid-19 vaccines are developing more rapidly in response to the pandemic.
2. Will children need more shots than adults?
The timing of Covid-19 vaccine doses does not appear to be different for children, but that could change as testing progresses.
The Pfizer vaccine is being tested in adolescents with a two-dose series, three weeks apart, as in adults. Modern also plans to use its adult program (two doses four weeks apart) in an upcoming trial with 3,000 teens.
The second dose serves as a “booster shot,” as the first dose alone does not provide optimal immunity. This is compatible with other vaccines, including hepatitis B, measles, mumps, and rubella.
Right now, only these two doses are planned, but that could change. It is unclear how long the immune response to these Covid-19 vaccines will last or whether more doses will be needed in the future. The flu vaccine, for example, requires a new dose each year for the virus to change. Recent and promising data from Moderna indicate that immunity is maintained for at least three months after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.
3. Are vaccines safe for children?
So far no serious safety issues have been identified with either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, but trials are still in the early stages of children. There are also several vaccines in the developing world, and some drug manufacturers have started testing with younger children in other countries.
Another concern has been temporary side effects.
In the UK, health officials warned on December 9 that anyone with a history of anaphylaxis should not receive the vaccine after two adults had severe reactions.
Children tend to have stronger immune systems than adults and may have stronger temporary reactions to the vaccine. This could mean more pain and swelling at the injection site for a few days and possibly fever.
These side effects are common with vaccines. They are evidence that the immune system is doing what it should be doing, but they can be scary.
Both the safety of the vaccine and the likelihood of temporary side effects are important to understand, as adults and children will need the doses for the vaccine to provide optimal immunity.
4. Is it enough to vaccinate adults?
Simply vaccinating adults would not be enough to end the pandemic. Children can still become infected, transmit the virus, and develop complications. If a vaccine is not available, children are likely to serve as a reservoir for the virus, making it difficult to end the pandemic.
Both leading vaccines have reported promising results in adults to date: the efficacy rate is approximately 94% for the Moderna vaccine and 95% for Pfizer. This means that, under the best conditions, it has been found that 95% of adults receiving the vaccine are protected. This is higher than expected.
It remains to be seen if the same happens with children.
Children usually have milder symptoms of Covid-19 than adults, but they can still transmit the virus to other people.
Receiving the vaccine also has other benefits, such as allowing a safer return to schools and activities.
5. Should we continue to wear masks and distance ourselves socially?
In the meantime, it will be important to continue with standard preventive measures, including social distances, the use of face masks, hand washing, and following other guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While the hope is that a vaccine will allow people to return to a more “normal” way of life, these preventative measures will still be necessary, even after receiving the vaccine, until more information is known about the vaccine. scope of protection against vaccine.
There are still many unanswered questions. As time goes on, we will have more answers.
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Wesley Kufel is Assistant Professor of Pharmacy at Binghamton University Pharmacy, SUNY
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This article is republished in The Conversation, a non-profit news organization dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.