The U.S. could soon hit more than 200,000 new coronavirus cases per day. That’s the latest from the National Institutes of Health.
This comes as hospitalizations surge across the country. To control the spike, health officials are strongly encouraging vaccinations.
Parents are now letting their kids participate in vaccine trials?
News4Jax spoke with two girls, ages 6 and 9, about their experience last week in a COVID-19 clinical trial.
They said they’d do it again if it meant keeping their classmates and community safe.
“I think like over here. They like drew the blood. And I got the shot right around here,” said 9-year-old Lorelei Liedy.
“I think I have set an example,” said Liedy.
Liedy is leading the fight against COVID-19. She and her younger sister, Juliana, participated in a vaccine clinical trial Tuesday.
In October, their parents, Jonathan and Patricia, went to Georgia to do a Pfizer vaccine trial.
Their three young daughters watching closely.
“I always knew kids were going to have to be in trials. Did I think it would be this bad in Florida at this point? No,” said Lorelei’s mom, Patricia.
Patricia said her kids begged them to be in the trial. nhn
In June, Moderna vaccine trials for children under 2 started at UF Health.
Patricia started looking around for trials for her girls and found one at the same place.
On Tuesday, at the start of the school year, these two had a lot to talk about.
“During recess, some kids were like, ‘no, you probably did not get that you look too young.’ I’m like, ‘I might have’ and I’m glad that I did. I’m setting an example for others, older and younger,” said Lorelei Liedy.
The girls’ dad, Jonathan, was scared at first. “But very proud that I have kids that have that inner strength to want to help others,” said Jonathan Liedy.
They say they’re proud their families DNA helped make a piece in history.
Right now, in Duval County, 66 students and 16 staff in the district tested positive.
Baptist Health Sunday reports 13 children are in the hospital with the virus – 5 of the 13 in the ICU. 90% of current COVID patients ages 12 and older aren’t vaccinated.
These are just some of the people who responded to a survey on our website where we asked viewers if they’d let their young children participate in a vaccine clinical trial. Majority of people said yes.
Vaccines aren’t approved yet for this age group. Doctors say there is a lot to consider when creating vaccines for young developing bodies.
Starting Wednesday, 4 schools in Duval will host vaccine events for staff and children 12 and up.
Each secondary school in the district will do this, offering the Pfizre vaccine.
Email your children’s ages and your contact information to: COVIDstudies@jax.UFL.edu or go to https://covid.cd2h.org/trials.