Moderna and Pfizer say they hope to have a COVID vaccine for children as young as 5 years old this fall.

That’s good news for parents as this summer presents a tricky challenge; they may be vaccinated but they need to keep their youngsters masked and avoid large crowds.

Next up, clinical trials for babies.
Pfizer announced this week that they will soon begin COVID-19 vaccine trials on children ages 11 and younger. The company plans to enroll 4,500 kids across 90 sites in the United States. Children as young as 6 months old will be included in Pfizer’s testing, and Moderna also plans to test its shots on babies that young.

Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital said results were encouraging:

“The trials that are going on now will really give us a good window into the safety and side effects in kids, and will give us that reassurance that it’s OK,” he said. “Getting our kids vaccinated is our ticket to herd immunity, but it’s also our ticket to getting our kids the normal life that they deserve.”

He added that parents who still have questions should talk to their child’s pediatrician rather than search on the internet for answers.

Good medical advice for anyone.