PHOENIX — Vaccinating children for COVID-19 is still months away in Arizona. So far, the Food and Drug Administration has only authorized vaccinations for kids ages 16 and older.
Parents like Lani Harrison are eager for their kids to receive the vaccine. She and her husband moved their three kids to Scottsdale from California last summer.
“I’m really concern about if she gets COVID, you know God forbid will she be one of the kids with worse symptoms than other kids have,” said Harrison.
The Moderna vaccine is only authorized for adults 18 and older and the Pfizer vaccine can be given to children 16 and older. Both companies have clinical trials underway for adolescents.
As of now, there are no trials for adolescents 11 and under, however, Dr. Kawsar Talaat, the principal site investigator for the Pfizer adult COVID vaccine phase 3 trial, believes trials could begin next fall.
Emergency Medicine Specialist Dr. Frank LoVecchio understands parents' concerns, but he says kids are statistically less likely to get as sick as adults.
“Although kids are safe, doesn’t mean 100% safe, the risk-benefit ratio for giving them a vaccine seems to be in favor of holding off until there is more data.”
COVID-19 Vaccine
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