Vaccinating children is vital to boost population immunity and contain the spread of the coronavirus. Although children spread the virus less efficiently than adults, they make up about 23 percent of the population.
Experts have said the country is unlikely to reach “herd immunity” – the point where virus transmission essentially comes to a halt – but vaccinating children will be important to get as close as possible .
14-year-old Ty Dropic, one of the study participants, urged others his age to get vaccinated so they can build widespread immunity and protect themselves. He had no side effects, which led him to suspect that he was on the placebo. If this turns out to be the case, he plans to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
“I know it can be scary, but it really isn’t as bad as it seems,” he said. “If you get Covid it will be a lot worse than being stuck with a needle for two seconds.”
Ty’s three siblings, ages 8, 10, and 16, are also participating in vaccination trials for their age groups. Your mother, Dr. Amanda Dropic, a pediatrician in northern Kentucky, said most of the parents in her practice were eager to get their children vaccinated to help them regain some semblance of normalcy.
“The anxiety and depression that we see in children, the social delays, have been enormous,” she said.
Dr. Dropic said her children understood the risks and were willing to volunteer because they saw it as a civic duty. Every drug available today came about because “someone was ready to go first,” she added.
