KKH Recruiting Kids For Covid-19 Vaccine Trials To Inform Public Health Vaccination Policy
Most eligible Singapore residents have been fully inoculated. Now, many parents are hoping their children can also receive the Covid-19 vaccination.
On Tuesday (16 Nov), KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) shared on Facebook that they are launching a study on Covid-19 vaccination in children.
The hospital is now recruiting participants for a Covid-19 vaccination trial for children between ages 5 and 11.
The trial aims to assess the suitability of a small dosage of the regular vaccine to children. All volunteers will be reimbursed.
KKH recruiting kids aged 5 to 11 for vaccine trials
KKH will be conducting a Pfizer vaccine trial amongst young Singapore children and are now seeking participants.
To qualify for the trial, participants have to fulfill the following requirements:
- be a child between 5 and 11 years old
- plan to receive the Covid-19 vaccination
- had no previous Covid-19 infection
According to KKH’s Facebook post, the data gathered from the trial will help inform public health vaccination policy to protect children against Covid-19.
Volunteers will also be reimbursed, although what this entails is unclear.
This vaccination trial will be accessing how suitable a smaller dosage, about one-third, of the normal dosage is for children here, reported The Straits Times (ST).
It also hopes to help smoothen operations of rolling out the vaccine on a large scale.
Expert Committee to make recommendation on vaccine for kids
During the multi-ministry task force press conference on Monday (15 Nov), Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said there has been a lot of interest from parents on children’s vaccines.
This is especially after the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised the vaccine for young children recently.
Minister Ong said that the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination will be making a recommendation on whether to extend the Pfizer vaccine to children aged 5 to 11.
This will happen in the second half of November, reported ST.
Pfizer pediatric vaccine
Singapore made a supply agreement with Pfizer for its pediatric vaccine recently.
This vaccine is catered to children aged 5 to 11 and has a different formulation from the adult vaccine.
According to ST, it uses the same mRNA ingredient but a different buffer solution is used.
This will make for easier storage under more conventional cold chain requirements.
It will also be easier to draw the required amount of vaccine from the vial itself.
Interested participants can check for eligibility now
Before the children’s vaccine can be rolled out to the general public, it will have to undergo trials.
Parents and caregivers interested in getting their children to participate in the KKH trial can fill up a short questionnaire here.
If results go well, children may well be next in line to get vaccinated.
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Featured image adapted from Gleneagles Hospital.
