What Are 10 Things You Need To Know About The COVID Vaccine Trial For Kids?
The drug company Moderna is currently running a vaccine trial for children ages 6 months to 11 years old called KidCOVE. The study is being conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The purpose of the study is to test the safety and effectiveness of the mRNA -1273 vaccine in protecting children from getting sick if they come in contact with SARS-CoV2 which causes COVID-19.
6,750 children in good health will be participating from the United States and Canada.
Some of the children will receive the mRNA-1273 vaccine and some will receive a placebo containing a saline (saltwater) solution.
Participants will receive two injections in their upper arm, 28 days apart.
Participants will be closely monitored for coronavirus symptoms. Families will have two telemedicine visits with the study doctor after each injection, and monthly follow-ups to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for up to 12 months.
In addition, parents will check-in using an eDiary App on their smartphone, or a specially designed smartphone provided by the testers. Medical support, as well as financial compensation, will be available. Participants do not need to have medical insurance to participate.
Children participating in the trial cannot get infected with SARS-CoV-2 or get COVID-19 illness from the mRNA-1273 study vaccine.
If there are no side effects or medical complications from the vaccine and it proves to be effective in preventing illness caused by COVID-19, children could be inoculated by Spring of 2022, or maybe even sooner; this will be a crucial step in getting closer to herd immunity.
