NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Clinical Research Associates Inc. is currently looking for healthy volunteers for their two-year study beginning this summer.
Tyler Billings said her 5 and 8-year-old daughters didn't hesitate when she asked.
"[I told them] that they could hopefully go back to normal, they could be protecting their friends. And they are like, 'Absolutely. We want to do that,'" Billings said. "I was totally transparent with them. I said, 'It's going to be a couple of shots, you're going to get your blood drawn, you're going to have to do this for a couple of years, and they were like, 'OK. We can do that.'"
"The function of the vaccine itself has already been proven, so this would be a study just to show how, in this subgroup of the population, it will be a useful vaccine," CRA Medical Director Dr. Stephan Sharp explained.
He said part of the trial will study how big of a dose children will need, which he anticipates will be smaller than what adults receive.
"All the childhood illnesses for which we now have vaccines were eliminated or reduced because of these vaccines," Sharp said.
He says pediatric trials are an essential step to protecting high-risk children and moving all of us passed the pandemic.
"It's part of how we help get kids back in school. It's part of how we get back to a more normal way of life."
Billings and her kids are proud to be a part of that fight.
"They'll be treated like royalty on the days I have to take them in, and we're going to do this," she said.
Sharp said they're still unsure how many kids they'll need, or the exact age range, but you can inquire about your child's eligibility at covidnashville.com or by calling (615) 329-2222.
On the controversy surrounding pediatric trials, Sharp reminded those objecting that there was a time when it was legal to give children drugs without testing on them first.
He says the public should find solace in the fact that medical professionals are ensuring the vaccine is safe for children and that they get the proper dose before it is distributed to them.
