Ongoing trials may produce data by this summer to indicate whether the vaccines are safe for children, Bloomberg reports.
Why it matters: Children generally aren't at risk of serious coronavirus infections, but vaccinating them will be key to protecting the adults around them and, eventually, reaching herd immunity.
Details: Pfizer and Moderna began recruiting participants for their clinical trials late last year.
- The University of Oxford, which developed a vaccine with AstraZeneca, is planning to begin tests in 12-to-18-year-olds next month, and Johnson & Johnson will likely begin trials shortly after receiving results from its adult studies.
- Clinical trials for children generally begin with teenagers and then work their way down to younger ages.
What we're watching: The sooner children have a vaccine, the sooner schools and child care can go back to normal, which will greatly ease the burden on millions of parents.
