Experts Hope COVID Vaccine For Children Will Be Available By Start Of 2021-22 School Year

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(CBS4) - In the race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, many of us may not realize it will take even longer to develop an immunization for children. CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida explained the process on CBSN Denver.

"You begin testing for safety and effectiveness on younger, healthier people. If they have no issues, then you gradually work your way down the line."

"You look at older people, then on people with chronic underlying conditions, minorities. Then last you wind up going to children as well as pregnant women."

Dr. Dave said the process is necessary because children are not just little adults.

"Their immune systems are totally different. When you look vaccines that are tested and administered to children, they often are different doses."

A JeffCo Public Schools bus (credit: CBS)

"When adults and kids do wind up using the same vaccine, the dosing is sometimes higher in children, sometimes they are lower."

"There is a long road ahead. There is some talk and some preliminary testing going on in some other countries but realistically, I don't think that is going to be anytime soon. Most experts are hoping, that for children, there will be a vaccine available by the start of the school year in 2021."