Vaccines against Covid for the very young are just around the corner, Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Children younger than five comprise the last group in whom a vaccine against Covid is currently being tested. Jonathan Zenilman, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins, says late spring may be when enough data will be in for an emergency use authorization.

Zenilman: It turns out probably because of Omicron cause this is now going on in the middle of a surge, they may have enough cases to show efficacy as well. Under the optimistic progressions we may have data for a small kids vaccine, 6 months to 4 years, by mid-April, early May but that’s going to be a three dose series. And I think all of us who are in this recognize that the primary series even for the adult vaccine is probably a three dose series anyway, which is why they decided to go that way.  :32

Zenilman notes that data from other age groups seems to show that three doses with appropriate spacing are necessary for the best response. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.