When will there be a children’s vaccine against COVID-19

The first COVID-19 vaccine was registered in May 2020. She became the Chinese Convidicea. As of the end of August 2021, 112 vaccines were at the clinical stage, and another 184 were in preclinical studies. WHO approved Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson&Johnson, Sinopharm and Sinovac ^[1].

Until recently, these developments were used exclusively for vaccination of adults, since, according to WHO, there was not enough data to confirm the need to vaccinate children and adolescents to prevent COVID-19. But in July, the World Health Organization reconsidered its opinion and for the first time during the pandemic recognized the possibility of vaccinating adolescents, while noting that this group should be vaccinated less urgently than the elderly, those with chronic diseases and health workers. At the same time, WHO recognized the Pfizer / BionTech vaccine as safe for children aged 12 years and over. ^[2].

Vaccination of children: will there be a special vaccine

The debate about whether children should be vaccinated against COVID-19 has been going on for a long time. Moreover, some countries have actively begun to develop, and some have even moved to the stage of testing a special children’s vaccine.

In particular, the final stage of clinical trials of an anti-coronavirus vaccine for children has begun in Cuba. In August, more than 300 children and adolescents aged 3 to 18 were given the third dose of the vaccine in that country. Cuban children aged 3 to 11 received their first dose at the end of June ^[3][4]. True, it is worth noting that none of the two vaccines developed by Cuban specialists was recognized by WHO at the time of vaccination.

Russia is also working on the creation of a children’s vaccine against COVID-19. So far, in the course of the test, serum is administered to adolescents in two versions. The first is an “adult” dose, diluted in a ratio of 1:10, the second – at a concentration of 1:5. During the trial, it turned out that the first option in vaccinated adolescents does not cause side effects at all. When using the second, the body temperature rises to about 37,5 degrees. Russian scientists plan to complete the trials by mid-September, after which they will be able to register a children’s vaccine. So far, tests are being carried out on adolescents aged 12-17 years. After registration of the drug, it will be possible to continue testing on children under 12 years old. ^[5].

What about in other countries of the world?

Meanwhile, in China, the Sinopharm vaccine, developed by scientists at the Wuhan Institute, has received state approval for emergency use in children aged 3 to 17. And this fact made China the first country in the world to agree to vaccinate such a young age group.

The country conducted two phases of clinical trials, which confirmed the high efficacy of the vaccine in this age group. Approximately 96% of recipients who received two doses of the drug had a high level of antibodies. There were no serious side effects reported by the organization that conducted the study. According to the developers of the vaccine, children aged 3 to 17 years old in the vaccination campaign are a key group that is crucial for creating an effective immune barrier against various mutations of the COVID-19 pathogen. ^[6].

We are set on the need for vaccination of adolescents in the United States. Specifically, in this country, the CDC, a federal agency of the Department of Health, recommends vaccination against COVID-19 for all persons aged 12 years and older. At the same time, the agency-recommended pediatric dose of Pfizer-BioNTech serum is similar to the adult dosage. ^[7]. As for the vaccination of children under 12 years old, in the USA they are not yet ready to make an accurate forecast, as they are waiting for Pfizer and Moderna to pass the necessary tests. ^[8].

Why is it taking longer to create a childhood vaccine?

Initially, COVID-19 vaccines were developed as drugs for adults. Children were not included in the initial clinical trials because, in the early phase of the pandemic, most deaths were in people aged 55 and older. That is, the younger age category was found to be less susceptible to the virus, and the disease itself in children proceeded relatively easily.

The second reason why children were not involved in clinical trials of vaccines is the time factor. During the rapid growth of the pandemic, scientists are faced with the need to create an effective vaccine as quickly as possible. These kinds of studies involving children require more levels of protection, which would make clinical trials much longer.

The third factor that kept the children out of the trial was the rapid changes in the immune system. That is, at different ages, the child’s immune system may respond differently to the vaccine. Therefore, it takes quite a long time to make sure the drug is safe for children. ^[9].

While scientists are debating in search of truth about the advisability and safety of vaccinating people under 12 years old, parents should take care of the health of children. As in the era when there were no vaccines against COVID-19, personal hygiene and social distancing remain the main method of protection against infection. These techniques definitely have no contraindications or potentially dangerous side effects.

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