“And I also thought it was important to have people of different ages and races represented,” added Audrey, who, like her brother, is Asian. (Her mother, Rachel, a research nurse who volunteered for a vaccine test, asked that her last names be withheld for privacy reasons.)
In general, tests with adolescents may be less diverse, because the results of tests with adults showed no noticeable difference in results by race. And because adult testing has been so successful, up to two-thirds of teenagers can receive the real vaccine instead of a placebo.
Pfizer, whose study is fully enrolled, expects results of its studies for children aged 12 to 15 in the first quarter of this year, which will then be presented to the Food and Drug Administration for review. Moderna is still recruiting for her teen tests, with data anticipated sometime this summer. Other companies hope to start testing with teenagers soon. Shortly after, the researchers will open tests for children as young as 5, probably with more modest doses.
As with any medical study, researchers are impartial when discussing risks and benefits. Instead of lecturing to young people, Dr. Campbell, whose clinic will conduct a Modern trial for younger children, engages them in conversation.
“Do you remember your tetanus vaccine? Tell me about it, ”he could say. And then, “See how this is similar and how different.” He wants to make sure that the teenager is actively involved in making decisions. “We always say, ‘Don’t do this for your parents’. “
Dr. Sarah Hasan, principal recruiter for DM Clinical Research, which oversees the Houston Fights Covid campaign and most of the city’s vaccine tests, said the information sessions for teens and adults differ markedly. She has more fun with teenagers.
“Usually, adults flip through the form, ask a few questions and that’s it,” she said. “But children ask a lot more questions than adults and are really listening, which is really good.”