As the early stages of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout unfold, many are wondering when kids will be able to get immunized.
They may have to wait for months, experts say.
While there has been some clinical vaccine research conducted on youth in the U.S., the data remains limited. Vaccine trials have mainly focused on adults.
There are still many questions: Are the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines safe for children? How long before they will be approved for kids?
“Smaller kids? We really don’t know,” said Dr. David Cennimo, an infectious disease expert at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, who has a background in pediatrics. “I don’t know of a reason (the vaccine) shouldn’t work or a reason why there would be a problem. But it’s really a total gray zone right now.”
The only way to answer these questions, he said, is to continue collecting data. But that takes time.
The effects of COVID-19 on kids have puzzled experts from the beginning. Children often don’t get as sick as adults, if they get sick at all.
“We don’t know the answer right now,” said Dr. Lawrence Kleinman, professor and vice-chair for academic development in the Department of Pediatrics at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
Here’s the latest on what people should know about kids, COVID-19 and the vaccines:
What age groups are able to get vaccinated?
No one younger than 16 is able to get vaccinated at this point. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is currently approved for people 16 and older. And the Moderna vaccine is approved for individuals 18 and older.
Are kids and teens immune to COVID-19?
No. Kids and teens can still become infected and spread the disease. However, COVID-19 has infected fewer children proportionally than adults. And children who contract the virus typically “have mild symptoms or have no symptoms at all,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency, however, noted that “some children can get severely ill from COVID-19. They might require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe. In rare cases, they might die.”
“I’ve seen various biochemical arguments why kids don’t spread it,” said Kleinman, who recently received funding from the National Institutes of Health to develop predictive models to identify which children are likely to get sick with COVID-19. “I’ve seen some epidemiological data that suggests maybe they don’t, but I’ve also seen — and I’m doing some work — that suggests that they do.”
A health care worker receives a second Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shot this week at Beaumont Health in Southfield, Mich. AP
How long could it take for children to be vaccinated?
Unfortunately, the timeline is unclear.
Some experts believe it could take a year to ensure the vaccines are safe for children. Others are hoping for a shorter wait.
But there is agreement: It’s going to take time.
“It’s going to be a little while,” Kleinman said. “Whether that little while is two or three months or five or six months, or if it takes longer. We’re all praying it’s on the shorter side.”
Will the vaccines be ready for kids by next school year?
Testing is just starting among younger kids. The next school year is only eight months away.
“I think it’s ambitious, but I don’t think it’s impossible,” Kleinman said.
He added: “I think the goal ought to be to get schools to open in somewhat normal ways — it won’t be completely normal — but more normalized ways with vaccinated children in the fall. That’s a great goal.”
However, he cautioned that it’s just a goal and not a plan at this point.
Why will it take so long?
Conducting clinical research on kids is always more complicated.
Everything — naturally — is more sensitive. It takes time to get trial participants. Even healthy kids are considered a more vulnerable population. And there is more liability involved.
“It generally tends to be more cumbersome, more difficult, just because people are more reticent to say ‘Yes, experiment on my child,’” Cennimo said.
But he believes in the coming months, the public will continue to feel more at ease.
“I think that it will become easier in the coming months when we say, ‘Look at how well this vaccine has done in all these adults,’” he said.
But he added: “I do think it’s going to take some time to get those trials up and fully enrolled.”
An employee of a vaccination center draws the COVID-19 vaccine from a glass ampoule this week in Kiel, Germany.AP
Are clinical trials underway involving young children?
Pfizer and Moderna are just starting vaccine clinical trials on 12 year olds. That’s the youngest age group thus far.
Could the new variants be more contagious among kids?
Experts say that the new coronavirus variants — like the strain that emerged in the United Kingdom and another in South Africa — could be more contagious among children. Much remains unknown about the new strains, but experts are watching closely.
“I know there’s a big push. We want to get schools back in session, and teachers are higher up on that vaccination list,” said Dr. Stephanie Silvera, an epidemiologist at Montclair State University. “But if we’re seeing variants that are causing an increase in spread and severity amongst children, that’s going to be an issue for our school system as well.”
Last year, reports began to crop up about mysterious illnesses in some children infected with the virus: fevers that lasted for days, low blood pressure, red eyes and cardiac issues. It was eventually determined that the novel coronavirus could cause multisystem inflammatory syndrome in some children.
New Jersey has had 73 cases reported in kids from newborns to teenagers, including one new case announced Wednesday. While it’s a potentially lethal disease, the state has not had any deaths.
Who is able to get vaccinated in N.J. right now?
The vaccines are not yet available to the general public. The first phase of the rollout includes front-line workers.
The next phase — Phase 1b — will include educators, daycare workers, and those who work in food and agriculture, manufacturing, corrections, the U.S. Postal Service, public transit and grocery stores. No timetable has been announced when that phase will begin.
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Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com.
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