KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Some children in the Kansas City area will be helping lead the way in the U.S. in efforts to vaccinate children.
Children's Mercy Hospital announced Wednesday it's participating in a nationwide COVID-19 vaccine trial of the Pfizer vaccine.
The hospital plans to test the vaccine on healthy children in the Kansas City area ages 6 months to 11 years old as part of a three-phase study.
"We know what dose worked in adults so we grab that dose and then we start giving a smaller dose of that, a portion of that, let’s say a fourth of it and we see how the kids do," Dr. Barbara Pahud, director of research and infectious diseases at Children's Mercy, said. "If they do OK then we give half of it and we keep going up until we find the right balance of the vaccine is safe and it produces an adequate immune response."
Phase 1 will focus on finding the proper dose of the vaccine for children under age 12, while Phases 2 and 3 will test the vaccine against a placebo.
Researchers will evaluate the safety, how well children tolerate the vaccine and its ability to produce an immune response in kids.
Children who participate in the trial will be selected to participate in one of the three phases.
Participants will have their blood drawn before receiving the first and second doses of the vaccine, approximately one apart, and again about a week after receiving the second does.
This will allow researchers to examine the level of protection the vaccine provides and determine the safest amount of vaccine dose level for each age group.
Participants will also have a nose swab collected before receiving both doses to be used for COVID-19 antigen testing.
“This is a much-needed study that will help us continue gathering evidence on the efficacy of the already developed vaccine on our younger populations, including children and infants,” Pahud said. “While the virus has affected more adults, children have also died and been hospitalized, and our goal is that COVID-19 will become another vaccine-preventable disease which will save lives.”
Kansas City parents Maureen and Jamari Roland, are both vaccinated but say they're in no rush to sign up their kids for the study just yet, saying what's right for some isn't right for everyone.
“I think it’s something we’re gonna hold off on for a little while just to wait a bit and see where we’re going with the trials and the outcome of them," Maureen Roland said.
“It’s just too many unknowns at this point and being so young we haven’t had any issues yet and are kind of homebodies if you will, so we really kind of limit ourselves as it is with going out in public," Jamari Roland said. "So I think between those factors I think we can afford to wait a little bit."
While they're not exactly racing to be first in line for the trial, the Rolands say they are grateful for those who have.
“For those to take that first step I think it does wonders for parents like us and others who are afraid to make that commitment at this time," said Jamari Roland said.
Children participating Phases 2 and 3 will be unblinded six months after receiving their second dose. Those who received a placebo will be offered the chance to receive the actual vaccine.
Children as young as 7 years old will need to give their own permission to participate in the study at Children’s Mercy.
Parents or guardians interested in having their children participate should fill out the online registration form.
