How vaccines may eventually be approved for children

[PuzzledObserver]

In order to suppress the virus to negligible levels, we are eventually going to have to vaccinate children.

At the moment, vaccines haven’t been tested on children - and who is going to want to consent to their child being used as a test subject? Logically, pretty much nobody, if their child is healthy.

I saw a comment on another thread about off-label use of the vaccines, e.g. in children who are CEV. On an individual basis, doctors might recommend it and parents might agree and that would be legal.

Is this how safety data for the vaccines in children might be accumulated? It seems somewhat ghoulish, and presumably would take a long time to get enough data.

But, for instance, we now vaccinate children against flu, in order to protect the elderly by suppressing the flu virus. Someone somewhere must have tested the flu vaccine on children before it was generally rolled out.

Pfizer are testing in DC age 12+

As a non medical person surely this is an expected logical next progression in vaccination (as with seasonal influenza) for anyone that can and has been scientifically proven to be a vector for incubation and infection so that’s pretty much everyone irrespective of age! Even animals have been tested positive for Covid 19!

Participants as young as 16 were used for the trial. We have only approved it for the over 18s though. Probably were many 16 year olds in trial.

As poster above says they are starting trials for kids 12+

It is a relief that CEV children can get it off label with consultants approval in the mean time

There are loads of vaccines used in children - think of the infant vaccination schedule that starts at only 8 weeks old. No reason covid should be any different

...children are vaccinated against all sorts of things, from a very very young age. All those vaccines had to be developed somehow. They're tested on adults, and then children. It's very normal, standard procedure. Not sure why it's such a big deal for you?

I don't think they should test it in children until the adult studies are completed

@confuseddotcom090

I don't think they should test it in children until the adult studies are completed

The adult trials are all completed - it would be approved otherwise.

No they aren't. They have emergency use authorisation. The studies don't complete for some time

We have only approved it for the over 18s though

Not quite, though that's true for the general population

It's 16+ for CEV and CV, with possibility of younger in the CEV group based on individual consultant prescribing,

@confuseddotcom090

No they aren't. They have emergency use authorisation. The studies don't complete for some time

The 12 week gap is the emergency authorisation. The manufacturer recommended 3 week gap is fully trialled and approved.

Trials have already begun for several vaccines in the 12-17 age bracket. I believe Moderna is one currently being trialled.

They are also working on a nasal spray which I imagine would be the first choice for kids like the flu vaccine.