Drugmakers are finding it easy to fill their trials testing COVID-19 vaccines in children under age 12, as parents' anxiety mounts about their children's potential to become infected with and transmit COVID-19, The New York Times reported Sept. 11.
In the U.S., there are about 48 million children under age 12 and therefore ineligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine under the FDA's regulation. About 252,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 in early September, the largest number of cases among children reported since the pandemic began, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Public health experts say it will likely be months before the FDA reviews clinical trial data for children ages 2 to 12 and decides whether this age group should be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. For now, trying to land a spot in a clinical trial is the only option parents have to get their young children vaccinated.
Pfizer is conducting a single trial for children under 12, which is fully booked, according to a company spokesperson. The trial has included 3,000 children ages 5 to 11, 750 children ages 2 to 5, and 750 children ages 6 months to 2 years.
Moderna finished enrollment of children ages 6 to 11 for its trial, securing slots for 4,000 children. The drugmaker will also test its vaccine in children ages 5 and younger, expecting to enroll about 12,000 children in total, according to a company spokesperson.
Johnson & Johnson is planning studies to test its vaccine in children under 12, a company spokesperson said. One will enroll children ages 6 to 11, one will enroll children ages 2 to 5, and another will enroll children younger than 2.