Why do some people think that we will soon be testing COVID-19 vaccines on newborn babies?
The usual suspects…
Kennedy Says That COVID Poses Virtually No Risk to Healthy Children
Before we look at the claim that they will be testing COVID-19 vaccines on newborn babies, let’s take a look at Robert F. Kennedy, Jr‘s other claim – that “COVID poses virtually no risk to healthy children?”
Is that true?
Considering how many kids have died with COVID-19 and MIS-C, a complication of COVID-19, it is easy to see that claim isn’t true.
It’s true that kids are at less risk than adults, but still, a lot of kids have died with COVID-19.
And many of them have been otherwise healthy children without any risk factors. And for half of kids who have died with risk factors, they have common conditions like asthma and obesity.
Are They Testing COVID-19 Vaccines On Newborns?
And the COVID-19 vaccine testing on newborns?
Not surprisingly, studies are being done to make sure COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective for newborns and infants.
Study COV2004, for example, the one about pregnant women and their infants, will “assess the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of Ad26.COV2.S in adult participants in the second and/or third trimester of pregnancy.”
“For adult participants, the total study duration from screening until the last follow-up visit will be between 13 to 17 months. The study will consist of a screening phase (1 to 28 days), vaccination phase (1 to 3 months) and a follow up phase (up to 12 months post-partum [PP]). For neonates/infants (born to adult participants who received vaccination) the total study duration from birth until the last follow-up visit will be approximately 12 months. Safety assessments will include immunogenicity assessments, physical examination, vital signs, clinical safety laboratory assessments, medical, obstetric and delivery history, neonate safety assessment, adverse events (AEs), serious adverse events (SAEs).”
A Study of Ad26.COV2.S in Healthy Pregnant Participants (COVID-19)
The newborns and infants in the study aren’t actually getting a COVID-19 vaccine though.
Their mothers are…
What about Study COV3006?
“COV3006 – A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of different dose levels of Ad26.COV2.S administered as a two-dose regimen followed by a booster in healthy children from birth to 17 years inclusive.”
FDA Briefing Document Janssen Ad26.COV2.S Vaccine for the Prevention of COVID-19
This is a proposed study of their new COVID-19 vaccine.
Will it really include newborns and younger infants?
Possibly.
Keep in mind that the youngest infants in pediatric COVID-19 vaccine trials so far are six months though. And we give very few vaccines to newborns – just hepatitis B, BCG, and OPV.
Will COVID-19 vaccines even work when given to newborns and younger infants?
They should.
The only vaccines that don’t work well until kids are older are polysaccharide vaccines. And some live vaccines because of interference from maternal antibodies.
There is also no reason to expect that they won’t be safe when given to younger kids, but that’s the whole point of these clinical trials, to confirm that COVID-19 vaccines are indeed safe and effective for younger infants and children.
Still, if newborns and younger infants can get some immunity from their vaccinated mothers when they are pregnant via passive immunity, then they can likely wait until about six months to get vaccinated themselves. Or at least until two months when most vaccines typically give a better immune response.
The other thing you should notice about Robert F. Kennedy‘s post?
He is trying to scare folks by calling it an ‘experimental vaccine‘ and implying that they have a lot of risks.
They don’t.
COVID-19 vaccines are safe, with few risks, and are obviously necessary.
“We don’t really know what that magical point of herd immunity is, but we do know that if we get the overwhelming population vaccinated, we’re going to be in good shape. We ultimately would like to get and have to get children into that mix.”
Anthony Fauci
Necessary for kids and adults.
More on COVID-19 Vaccines
- Many Covid-19 Vaccines Were Studied With Saline Placebos
- Where Are the COVID-19 Package Inserts?
- The Truth About COVID-19 Vaccines
- Are We Going to See a Summer Surge of RSV This Year?
- Why Are Social Distancing Kids Still Getting Sick?
- COVID-19 Vaccination Goals
- COVID-19 Vaccination Questions and Answers
- The Truth About COVID-19 Vaccines
- I’m Not Anti-Vaccine, I Just Don’t Believe in the COVID-19 Vaccine
- A Review of Robert F Kennedy, Jr.’s Medical Racism Film
- FDA Briefing Document Janssen Ad26.COV2.S Vaccine for the Prevention of COVID-19
- A Study of Ad26.COV2.S in Healthy Pregnant Participants (COVID-19)
- KidCOVE Study – A COVID-19 vaccine study for children
- COVID-19 Pregnancy Related Immunological, Clinical and Epidemiological Factors and Perinatal Outcomes (COVID-PRICE)
- MMWR – COVID-19 Trends Among Persons Aged 0–24 Years — United States, March 1–December 12, 2020
- MMWR – SARS-CoV-2–Associated Deaths Among Persons Aged <21 Years — United States, February 12–July 31, 2020
- Is there a role for childhood vaccination against COVID-19?
- Antibody persistence in the first 6 months following SARS-CoV-2 infection among hospital workers: a prospective longitudinal study
- Neonatal immunization: where do we stand?
- Should children be vaccinated against Covid-19?
- Vaccination in early life: standing up to the challenges
- Dr. Anthony Fauci says children likely need COVID vaccine in order for US to reach herd immunity