COVID vaccine trials for kids should begin, says Oxford study citing role in transmission

A recent study published by Oxford has said that the coronavirus vaccine trials for children should ‘begin now’, given their susceptibility to the virus. While COVID-19 vaccine trials for adults have moved to Phase III, they are yet to start for children. The researchers have said that the direct coronavirus impact upon children is ‘greater’ than what has already been observed. They also believe that the role of children in the transmission of coronavirus is under-appreciated. 

The authors of the study speculated that delaying Phase II vaccine clinical trials in children will delay the recovery from the COVID-19 and unnecessarily prolong its impact upon children’s education, health and emotional well-being. Given the potential direct and indirect benefits of paediatric vaccination, the authors said that the implementation of Phase II clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccines should ‘begin now’. 

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‘Added benefits’ of vaccine for children 

According to the researchers, safe and effective vaccines, when given to children, may provide both ‘direct and indirect benefits’. They noted that 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 authors, who 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.

The researcher in the study wrote that understanding the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in children is critical to protect children and adults. They added that 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.

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