Inside a COVID vaccine trial for babies, toddlers
CHICAGO — The toddler announced she was “going to be brave” shortly before the needle pierced the fleshy part of her right thigh.
Although her big brown eyes widened a bit at the sight of the syringe, she held onto her mother’s hands and looked away, managing not to cry or whimper the entire time. Afterward, the little girl proudly showed off the cartoon Tweety bird adhesive bandage placed at the injection site.
“You did so good,” her mom said, embracing her daughter’s tiny frame before discussing milkshake flavors, the treat of choice after getting the shot.
Three-year-old Elena Rosales is a volunteer in a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial underway at Lurie Children’s Hospital, which is now studying the immunization in children 6 months to 5 years, the last age group to get cleared for coronavirus vaccine testing.
These are the infants and littlest kids who are still ineligible for vaccination against the virus, which has so far infected more than 7 million children nationwide as of earlier this month, according to the Chicago-based American Academy of Pediatrics.
Medical experts have forecast that COVID-19 vaccines could be authorized for children under age 5 sometime in early 2022, as trials like the one at Lurie continue to compile safety
