As the coronavirus pandemic continues and vaccination efforts trend upwards, more ages of people are able to get vaccinated but youth aren’t yet among them.

Vaccinations are available in Iowa to all those over the age of 16 and Dallas County Health Department Public Information Officer Ann Cochran answers the question on what is currently going on with the thought of vaccinating children.

“There are several clinical trials going on right now for different age groups of adolescents and children as young as six months old. These are in the early stages because children are in a special population as far as us wanting to protect their wellbeing. Clinical trials tend to go a little bit more slowly and even more cautiously than with adult populations.”

Cochran says with clinical trials going on right now the hopes are within the near future something will happen with being able to vaccinate children.

“Hopefully, by the end of this summer a vaccine will be approved at least for children maybe twelve and over which would greatly help among middle school and high school age kids as the new school year starts.”

Of the vaccines currently available they are only authorized for those 16-years-old and over.