Teens and preteens are now part of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine tests, the New York Post reports.
Last week, the vaccine maker received permission to test its vaccine candidate on kids as young as 12.
The first teen to receive an injection was 16-year-old Katelyn Evans who is participating in the Pfizer study at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, according to the newspaper.
“I just figured the more people they have to do tests on, the quicker they can put out a vaccine and people can be safe and healthy,” Evans told the New York Post.
Many pediatricians have raised concerns about whether a vaccine will be able to protect kids from the virus before next school year. Children won’t be able to receive the vaccine unless their age group has undergone testing.
Other vaccine candidates in final-stage studies have been focused on testing adults.
The newspaper reports that Moderna Inc., Johnson & Johnson, and Novavax all want to begin some type of pediatric research later this year, for various age groups. In China, Sinovac and SinoPharm have opened studies in which children as young as 3 can participate.
A British study of a vaccine by AstraZeneca allows a low dose to be tested in some children, but the company says it won’t be recruiting youth participants until “sufficient” safety data is compiled for adults.
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