DENVER (KDVR) — The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is putting on a trial of the COVID-19 vaccine that includes infants as young as 6 months old.
According to UCHealth, the clinical trial that started in late October includes the Moderna and Novavax vaccines.
“It is amazing. We continue to see the rapid success of vaccines for all ages. These vaccines are safe, effective and critical to keeping children healthy, while also helping end the pandemic,” said Dr. Myron Levin, a professor of pediatrics and medicine, and an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Levin is overseeing the clinical trials.
“Ultimately, every age group from 6 months on up will be covered by a vaccine,” Levin said.
When could a COVID-19 vaccine be available for babies?
Levin said about 50 children are part of the clinical trial for a smaller dose of the Moderna vaccine. That includes a group of children 6 months to 2 and another group age 2-5.
“The reason you’re seeing the two age groups at the same time is because of urgency. Normally they would sequence it to the lower age groups eventually, but they want to be able to protect as many kids as possible,” Levin said.
Levin is hopeful the vaccine could be available for all children 6 months and older by the end of 2021 or in early 2022.
Three out of four children in this trial will receive the vaccine, Levin said. They’ll monitor participants for a variety of reactions or symptoms.
“We ask parents to check the fever, we keep in touch with a phone app that they can report on a variety of signs and symptoms. If any arise to a certain level that we define, we call them to discuss it and report it to the company,” Levin said.
Lisa Munro has two children who are not old enough to receive the vaccine approved for kids ages 5 to 11. She said learning of this clinical trial gives hope her kids will soon be protected.
“I believe in the science of it. I have been getting vaccines my entire life, my kids have, my parents have,” said Munro. “We’ll do everything we can to protect them while we can and as soon as the day comes that we can protect them, themselves — it will be just as great, even greater.”
If the trial runs smoothly, Levin estimates vaccines could be available for younger children by the spring.