The Kansas City Star: When can your child get the COVID-19 vaccine? Children's Mercy leader eyes November

Children's Mercy vaccine clinic

By Katie Moore

The earliest Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine could become approved for children under 12 is November, according to Dr. Barbara Pahud, who is leading a clinical trial at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City.

The hospital’s study, which began in April, includes a group of children over the age of five and a group under five.

Those over five are getting their second doses and doing follow-up visits. Those younger are still in the initial phase of visits.

Pahud said there was a huge interest in the trial with more than 5,000 people vying for the 72 spots available locally. Other sites across the country are conducting the study, too.

The dosages are less than the Pfizer vaccine currently being distributed to people age 12 and older.

The FDA requires a minimum of two months of safety follow-up data.

“Multiple steps need to happen before this can be in the kids’ arms and I’m guessing at the earliest, that will be probably November,” Pahud said.

After Pfizer submits data from the study, the FDA will review it and decide whether to issue emergency use authorization. If an EUA is approved, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices then meets to make a recommendation.

Pahud said the November time frame is the best case scenario.

While Children’s Mercy collects more data from its trial in the coming months, Pahud said the most important step people can take to keep kids safe is for family members to get vaccinated.

“That’s a ring of protection around the child,” she said.

Read the full article via The Kansas City Star

Learn more about COVID vaccine at Children's Mercy