Not any soon, experts from around the world have said.
As discussed, the lack of clinical trials among kids has meant that it is not yet safe to vaccine this segment. Emergency use authorisation granted to Pfizer, for instance, is also only for those above 16 years of age. Moderna’s application is also only restricted to adults.
In conversation with FIT, Dr Shahid Jameel, a leading virologist and Chairperson, Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University, said exactly this, “All the vaccine trials have been done in people 18 years of age and older. Since safety and efficacy is not tested in children, the vaccines would not be approved for children.”
Dr Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the US, has said that it could be months before children get a vaccination. “It’s going to be months. And the reason is traditionally when you have a situation like a new vaccine, you want to make sure, because children as well as pregnant women, are vulnerable,” he…