More than half a year has passed since the first vaccine for COVID-19 was given emergency authorization, and almost half the United States has protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a result. Yet children under the age of 12, for whom the vaccines haven’t yet been authorized, have been unable to take advantage.
Vaccine makers have been working to make their products available to younger patients, launching clinical trials to evaluate whether the vaccines can safely and effectively protect children as young as 6 months.