Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
When Will Kids Start Getting Vaccinated? Pfizer Trials Enroll Younger Subjects
San Francisco Chronicle: Stanford Enrolls Children As Young As 2 In Pfizer Vaccine Trials
Stanford Medicine on Wednesday began administering shots to children ages 2 to 5 in a trial for the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, marking another step forward in getting younger children vaccinated. Stanford’s trial is part of a larger, nationwide Pfizer study that is testing the vaccine in children as young as 6 months old. The advancement of pediatric vaccine trials is important because even though children are at lower risk than adults of developing severe disease and dying from COVID-19, many have nonetheless fallen ill and died. It will also be critical to inoculate children in order to reach higher immunity levels in the overall population, since they can spread the virus to others even if they themselves do not become ill. (Ho, 4/14)
Kansas City Star: Children’s Mercy Studies Pfizer COVID Vaccine For Kids
Children as young as 6 months of age could get COVID-19 vaccines as part of a nationwide pediatric trial led locally by Children’s Mercy, the hospital announced Wednesday. The study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and whether it can stimulate an immune response. The vaccine could be available to babies and children up to age 11 in the general public by early 2022, according to Pfizer. (Gutierrez, 4/14)
In related pediatric news —
Cincinnati Enquirer: Vaccine For Kids As Young As 5 Possibly By Late Summer
Parents have put more than 3,000 children on waitlists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to participate in clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine on younger children. Work on the trials is moving so quickly that Dr. Robert Frenck, director of the Gamble Vaccine Research Center at Cincinnati Children’s, believes it's "even a possibility that we'll see a vaccine (allowed for children) as low as age 5" by August or September. The vaccine could be approved for children as young as 2 by December or January. (4/12)
Pioneer Press: ‘Kids Are Going To Be The Key’ To Get To Herd Immunity, Mayo Experts Say
Children are roughly 20% of the U.S. population, and health officials believe 75% -80% vaccination will be required to get to herd immunity. Over one-third of the population has now received at least one dose. That hope of achieving herd immunity is coming closer,” said Dr. Joseph Poterucha, pediatric and critical care specialist, Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin, “and it is so important to get those kids vaccinated to get there. . . Kids are going to be the key.” Besides an enormous population for the goal of herd immunity, vaccinating children is “a mechanism of liberation to connecting back with family, grandparents, loved ones,” Poterucha said. “This is a mechanism to get back to reality.” (Scott, 4/14)
The Motley Fool: Here's The Surprising Amount Of Money Pfizer's Vaccine Might Make Immunizing Adolescents
Pfizer has racked up multiple firsts with its vaccine. BNT162b2 was the first COVID-19 vaccine to win Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the U.S. for adults. It was the first to win EUA for teens ages 16 and up. And now another first could be on the way. A couple of weeks ago, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech reported results from a late-stage study of BNT162b2 in children ages 12 to 15. BNT162b2 achieved an efficacy of 100% in the study. The companies announced on April 9 that they've filed for an expanded EUA for this lower age group with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pfizer previously estimated that BNT162b2 would generate sales of around $15 billion this year. However, that figure was based on the supply deals it had in place in early February. How much money could Pfizer make in 2021 if it wins authorization for the vaccine in adolescents? You might be surprised. (Speights, 4/14)
The New York Times: The Vaccinated Parent's Guide To Life With Unvaccinated Kids
As more parents get vaccinated ahead of their children, some families are finding themselves with questions that seem to have no clear answers: Is it finally OK to have indoor play dates? Can we take summer vacations, or fly on airplanes? What if my kids are high risk? If this new and perplexing reality has added to your stress, you’re not alone. (Wenner Moyer, 4/13)
