Is it ethical to include children in the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trials?
Dear Editor
Speaking about the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trials, Professor Pollard says "...we're moving on to new trials to evaluate different age groups - for example, children".[1]
What is the justification for including children in coronavirus vaccine trials?
Young people do not appear to be at serious risk with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
To vaccinate people at an early age with what potentially could be annual coronavirus vaccination throughout life, with unknown long-term cumulative consequences, raises important ethical questions, particularly when they are not at serious risk of disease.
On what basis did the ethics committee evaluating the protocols for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trials conclude it was justifiable to include children and others not at serious risk of the SARS-CoV-2 virus?
Reference:
1. How the Oxford-AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine was made. BMJ 2021;372:n86
Competing interests:
No competing interests
05 February 2021
Elizabeth Hart
Independent person investigating the over-use of vaccine products and conflicts of interest in vaccination policy
Rapid Response:
Is it ethical to include children in the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trials?
Dear Editor
Speaking about the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trials, Professor Pollard says "...we're moving on to new trials to evaluate different age groups - for example, children".[1]
What is the justification for including children in coronavirus vaccine trials?
Young people do not appear to be at serious risk with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
To vaccinate people at an early age with what potentially could be annual coronavirus vaccination throughout life, with unknown long-term cumulative consequences, raises important ethical questions, particularly when they are not at serious risk of disease.
On what basis did the ethics committee evaluating the protocols for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine trials conclude it was justifiable to include children and others not at serious risk of the SARS-CoV-2 virus?
Reference:
1. How the Oxford-AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine was made. BMJ 2021;372:n86
Competing interests: No competing interests