PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WKBN) – UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is now enrolling participants ages six months to 12 years to take part in a nationwide pediatric vaccine trial. 

They’re looking for approximately 7,050 children to participate in COVID-19 Moderna vaccine trial, nicknamed “KidCOVE.” It’s part of the Pittsburgh Vaccine Trials Unit.

“Last year, Pittsburghers rolled up their sleeves and volunteered to participate in our local Moderna vaccine adult trials, helping to make this vaccine available to the public in record time,” said Dr. Judy Martin, professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “We are excited to now have the opportunity to invite our children to volunteer as well.”

Their goal, according to the “KidCOVE” study website, is to further prevent the transmission of COVID-19 among children in a safe manner and protect the future generation.

In a collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the trial is one of 100 volunteer trial studies in North America.

The mRNA-1273 Moderna vaccine was approved in December 2020 by the FDA to be administered to adults over the age of 18, in an emergency use authorization. The “KidCOVE” trial hopes to evaluate the safety and efficiency of the Moderna vaccine in participants as young as six months.

Additional information can be found online.