First in the US, Duke begins Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial for kids under 12
DURHAM, NC (WNCN) – A first in the United States, Duke Health began participating in the Pfizer and BioNTech Phase 1 study in preventing COVID-19 with the vaccine among children under the age of 12.
Duke Health said Alejandra and Marisol Gerardo, twin 9-year-old girls, received their first vaccinations on Wednesday.
“The importance of safely vaccinating children against COVID-19 is twofold,” said the study’s principal investigator at Duke is Dr. Emmanuel “Chip” Walter, professor in the Department of Pediatrics and chief medical officer of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute.
“We got two small sore arms in the household right now. They both said, ‘I think that means it’s working,” their mom, Susanna Naggie said.
She and the children’s father are both vaccinated. They work in healthcare. She said she had a conversation with the twins before joining the study to explain why it was important. They agreed to be part of the trials.
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