WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The only population that is currently not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine is children under the age of 5. But clinical trials are underway.

 

What You Need To Know

  • StarMed in Charlotte is hosting a clinical trial for the Moderna vaccine for children ages 6 months to 5 years old
  • A mother, Laura Ziesel, said her family traveled from Winston-Salem to be in the trial
  • She was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and wants to protect her family
  • It’s a blind study so she won’t know for a few months if her child got a placebo or the real dose

 

Laura Ziesel has three children. Her youngest, Simone, is a ball of energy. During the pandemic she worked hard to keep her family healthy.

“I felt like we were coming out of the haze of COVID-19 and just barely returning to normal life, and then I got diagnosed,” Ziesel said.

At 36 years old she found out she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She said since she was younger it was more aggressive and she needed treatment immediately. Her fears often got the worst of her.

“My first thought was like, 'this is how I am going to leave my kids, without a mom,'” Ziesel said.

There were also fears about what would happen if she got sick with COVID. She said it could delay her treatment, which would put her life at risk.

Her older children are vaccinated for COVID-19. When she found out about a Moderna clinical trial testing the COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5 she enrolled her 4-year-old daughter Simone.

“It boils down to the vaccine feels safer than getting COVID,” Ziesel said. “I am immunocompromised so it is a big deal that our family be as protected as possible. There are risks with any vaccines, but we felt like the known risks are greater than the few with the vaccine.”

Ziesel said after the shot her daughter had some arm soreness, but no other side effects. The clinical trial is a blind study so she’s not sure if Simone got a placebo or the real dose.

“For me it boiled down to wanting to know I did everything I could to keep myself safe for my kids and my kids safe,” Ziesel said.

The FDA said the vaccine for children under the age of 5 will likely not be available until early next year.