There is more progress in Greater Cincinnati as the search for a COVID-19 vaccine continues.Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has expanded its Pfizer clinical trial to include 12-year-olds to 15-year-olds.Last week, they started enrolling 16-year-old to 17-year-old participants.Doctors enrolled and dosed seven children in the younger group for the first time Thursday.”We really think a vaccine is so critical to be able to get us through this pandemic and back to normal,” Dr. Robert Frenck said.Finding a viable COVID-19 vaccine is a mission expanding by the day at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.Frenck said for the first time, seven children between the ages of 12 and 15 enrolled in the Pfizer vaccine trial and were given a first dose.12-year-old Abhinav, a seventh grader from our area, volunteered to take part.So did his father, hospital officials told WLWT.”I think it’s important for two reasons. One, is the direct effect of protecting the adolescent themselves, but then, the other is the indirect effect just because if the adolescent isn’t infected, then he or she won’t spread it to anybody else,” Frenck said.Last week, we introduced you to Katelyn Evans, 16, an Oak Hills High School junior who was the first in the 16-year-old to 17-year-old group.Frenck said she is doing well so far.He said Children’s Hospital is one of five sites across the country to enroll this age group.Frenck said the timeline for the process is the same for 12 to 17-year-olds.He said they get the initial trial vaccine dose, three weeks later they get a second dose, and then their blood is drawn two weeks after that to see their immune response.Doctors want to compare that response to adults to gauge protection.Frenck warned that rising COVID-19 numbers a reminder to socially distance, wear a mask and wash your hands.He said it’ll likely be January or February before these results are ready.”People are just saying, ‘I’m tired of this,’ and I totally understand that. I want it to be gone, too, but it’s not gone yet and so that we need to keep up our defenses, we need to be diligent,” Frenck said.He said there is a planned pause to review all data for safety early on.Frenck said if everything goes well with this age group, they may even be able to vaccinate younger kids.Doctors said Pfizer’s plan is to have 100 children between 12 years old and 15 years old enrolled across five sites nationally by Friday.Frenck said then, they’ll pause the study to review data and start enrolling again about a week after that.We’re told the overall goal is to enroll about 2,600 children between 12 years old and 17 years old.You can find more information about this clinical trial here.
CINCINNATI —
There is more progress in Greater Cincinnati as the search for a COVID-19 vaccine continues.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital has expanded its Pfizer clinical trial to include 12-year-olds to 15-year-olds.
Last week, they started enrolling 16-year-old to 17-year-old participants.
Doctors enrolled and dosed seven children in the younger group for the first time Thursday.
“We really think a vaccine is so critical to be able to get us through this pandemic and back to normal,” Dr. Robert Frenck said.
Finding a viable COVID-19 vaccine is a mission expanding by the day at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Frenck said for the first time, seven children between the ages of 12 and 15 enrolled in the Pfizer vaccine trial and were given a first dose.
12-year-old Abhinav, a seventh grader from our area, volunteered to take part.
So did his father, hospital officials told WLWT.
“I think it’s important for two reasons. One, is the direct effect of protecting the adolescent themselves, but then, the other is the indirect effect just because if the adolescent isn’t infected, then he or she won’t spread it to anybody else,” Frenck said.
Last week, we introduced you to Katelyn Evans, 16, an Oak Hills High School junior who was the first in the 16-year-old to 17-year-old group.
Frenck said she is doing well so far.
He said Children’s Hospital is one of five sites across the country to enroll this age group.
Frenck said the timeline for the process is the same for 12 to 17-year-olds.
He said they get the initial trial vaccine dose, three weeks later they get a second dose, and then their blood is drawn two weeks after that to see their immune response.
Doctors want to compare that response to adults to gauge protection.
Frenck warned that rising COVID-19 numbers a reminder to socially distance, wear a mask and wash your hands.
He said it’ll likely be January or February before these results are ready.
“People are just saying, ‘I’m tired of this,’ and I totally understand that. I want it to be gone, too, but it’s not gone yet and so that we need to keep up our defenses, we need to be diligent,” Frenck said.
He said there is a planned pause to review all data for safety early on.
Frenck said if everything goes well with this age group, they may even be able to vaccinate younger kids.
Doctors said Pfizer’s plan is to have 100 children between 12 years old and 15 years old enrolled across five sites nationally by Friday.
Frenck said then, they’ll pause the study to review data and start enrolling again about a week after that.
We’re told the overall goal is to enroll about 2,600 children between 12 years old and 17 years old.
You can find more information about this clinical trial here.