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6-year-old Roswell boy joins study on Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine effect on kids

By Tom Regan, WSB-TV

Willy Randall and his mother The 6-year-old boy participated in a Moderna vaccine study (WSB-TV)

By Tom Regan, WSB-TV

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A 6-year-old boy from Roswell talked to Channel 2 Action News about his participation in a recent clinical study testing the effectiveness and potential side effects of the Moderna vaccine in young children.

“Right after my second dose, I had a big splotchy thing around here, my shoulder,” Willy Randall said.

The child received his shots in August and September at Emory University Hospital, which helped carry out the clinical study.

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In the study, half of the participants receive a placebo of saline, the other half received the vaccine. Willy’s mom said given the soreness and slight fever her child experienced following the second dose, she’s pretty certain he got the vaccine.

“We were very excited to see some side effects. Unfortunately with Delta being so contagious and his classmates not eligible yet, this doesn’t mean he can take off his mask and do whatever. And he’s got a 4-year-old brother that we are hoping to get in his age group’s trial in the next few weeks,” Lori Randall said.

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Pfizer has already asked federal regulators to green light its Covid vaccine for children age 5 to 11. If approved, tens of millions of children could get vaccinated. Health officials said that would help keep classrooms open and drive down transmission rates in schools and the community.

“That’s fantastic. We have been expecting this for a while now,” said Pediatric Specialist Dr. Zachary Cline-Egri.

If the FDA and CDC give the go ahead, reduced, child sizes doses of the Pfizer vaccine could become available to children sometime next month.

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Moderna to begin testing vaccine in children

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