Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine Being Tested on Babies

• An eight-month-old baby is the youngest person in the world to have been fully vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had previously granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the experimental COVID vaccines for use in adults and has recently expanded its authorization to include adolescents over 12 years old, but no data are available pertaining to the vaccine’s use in babies and small children.
• Two “camps” have emerged: Parents who believe vaccination is safe, effective and the only way forward out of the pandemic and parents who are concerned about short- and long-term consequences of the experimental vaccinations and do not want their children used as “guinea pigs.”

Researchers Concerned Dose Given to Infants May Be Too Low

Parents Split on Enrolling Children in Experimental Studies

Other parents worry more about the potential side effects-both acute and long-term-of an experimental vaccine that has not been studied in larger, long-term clinical trials and a more substantial history of safety. One parent, who wanted to remain anonymous because she was concerned that she would be judged harshly for her decision, said, “I think for my children until we see a little bit more research and it’s proven that it’s something that is necessary, I think I’m going to wait.”

No Safety Data in Children Under 12 Years of Age