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According to a recent study published on the website of Oxford, the coronavirus vaccine trials for children should begin now, given their susceptibility to the virus.
The study stated: “While adult clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccines have moved quickly into Phase-3 clinical trials, clinical trials have not started in children in the US. The direct Covid-19 impact upon children is greater than that observed for a number of other pathogens for which we now have effective paediatric vaccines.”
The authors of the research believe that the role of children in SARS-CoV-2 transmission has been underappreciated.
The authors speculated that delaying Phase II vaccine clinical trials in children will delay the recovery from Covid-19 and unnecessarily prolong its impact upon children’s education, health and emotional well-being.
The authors wrote: “Given the potential direct and indirect benefits of pediatric vaccination, implementation of Phase II clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccines should begin now.”
According to the researchers, safe and effective vaccines, when given to children, may provide both direct and indirect benefits.
At the time that Phase III adult clinical trials are initiated, data support the initiation of careful paediatric Phase II clinical trials to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of advanced Covid-19 vaccine candidates, the study noted.
The researchers, most of whom are related to the field of paediatrics, are of the view that the initial paediatric studies should be conducted in parallel with adult efficacy trials, rather than delaying them until adult efficacy is established.
They wrote: “Understanding the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in children is critical to protect children and adults. For children, a vaccine has the added benefit of returning them safely to school and extracurricular activities, and allowing them to engage with their world face-to-face once again.”
Ensuring the acceleration of vaccine clinical trials to warp speed for children will be critical in making this a future reality, the study concluded.
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