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UPMC enrolling children in pediatric COVID-19 vaccine trial

The trial will evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine in children ages 6 months to 12 years.

PITTSBURGH — UMPC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is enrolling children in a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine trial.

The site is one of 100 in the U.S. and Canada participating in Moderna “KidCOVE” vaccine trial, which has an expected enrollment of 7,050 children.

The trial will evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine in children ages 6 months to 12 years.

The Moderna vaccine is currently approved for those age 18 and older, though the company filed June 10 for an emergency use authorization from the FDA to give its vaccine to 12-t0-17-year-olds.

“Now that they’ve seen how the vaccines have really changed what adults can do in this world, I think people are now interested to see if we can’t now get doses into children so we can relax some of their restrictions,” said Dr. Judy Martin, professor of pediatrics at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

As part of the double-blind trial, 75 percent of trial participants will receive the vaccine, while 25 percent will get a placebo.

The trial will run in several phases, testing 6-to-12-year-olds first. Full results are expected by early 2022.

You can register for potential participation in the Pittsburgh site of the trial here.

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