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Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson plans to test its vaccine in newborns, according to a report from the The New York Times.
The trials, which would also include pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems, would have the approval of Ofer Levy, Director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Harvard’s Boston Children’s Hospital and a member of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) advisory committee.
Johnson & Johnson’s plan would be to first test the drug in children over 12 and under 18, and immediately begin a study involving newborns and adolescents.
The company will then test its vaccine in pregnant women and, finally, in immunocompromised individuals. Like the other companies, Johnson & Johnson will analyze safety and immune responses.
The FDA approved on Saturday emergency clearance of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, which requires a single injection, and will be the third to be available in the country.
So far, no trials involving children under 12 have been conducted. Only PfizerBioNTech has the authorization to immunize people 16 years and older.
Currently PfizerBioNTech and Moderna are conducting trials in children aged 12 to 16 years. The majority of the global vaccine market is for pediatric vaccines.
