OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — As the vaccination campaign continues, trials are still happening behind the scenes for those younger than 12.
41 Action News met one Kansas family whose kids enrolled in one of those trials.
The pandemic has taken a lot from the McGinnity family.
"I couldn’t see my friends. I had to have school online,” 9-year old Henry said.
This past May, the pandemic offered something new: a Moderna vaccine dosing trial for children younger than 12 in El Dorado, Kansas.
Henry and his 7-year old brother Clark got a fresh perspective from their mom, Sarah.
“We talked about the process of what a vaccine is, we've talked about like a vaccine gives you COVID fighting ninjas. And so we're training those ninjas so that if COVID ever comes in that they can fight it,” she said.
She said her sons weren’t told what to do.
“I made sure they understood and it was their decision, that it wasn't me, forcing them to do it. That they decided to,” she said. “They considered what the sacrifice wouldn't be, and we talked about how vaccines, we just need a few brave kids to provide the vaccine to the whole world.”
Henry and Clark got their first shot in May, but not without taking blood tests and COVID-19 tests, and going through a lot of forms.
“Your arm might hurt for a day, but just keep moving your arm and it’ll eventually stop hurting. On the second shot, you might get a fever or chills,” Henry said.
He and Clark bounced back quickly from mild side effects, and they’re now fully vaccinated. Follow-up visits are on the calendar as the trial continues.
“We’ve been through so much and just the hope that kids can be protected,” Sarah said.
These are two kids in Kansas helping move the needle.
“I think most of the feedback from my community has been gratitude to the boys for being brave. So that hopefully by them getting their shots, their kids can get their shots soon,” Sarah said. “I trust science, I trust the process. I trust that the mRNA technology has been around for years, even though we haven't seen it in a vaccine. I want to protect them as much as possible. And I think if we can contribute to a pandemic ending, that's a pretty cool thing."
Henry and Clark’s 5-year old sister, Lucy, didn’t participate in the trial, but Sarah said she cheered on her older brothers who did.
They’ll have in-person visits and tests, as well as E-diary entries and telemedicine calls as the vaccine trial gathers more data on those who are enrolled.
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