Le Bonheur, UT Health Science Center enrolling kids for antibody trial

JACKSON, Tenn. — A local children’s hospital is now enrolling kids in an antibody trial.

In the wake of COVID-19 vaccinations being distributed to children around the U.S., Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center announced they will be enrolling children in a COVID-19 antibody trial.

Chief of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at Le Bonheur, Sandy Arnold says this trial is important for many reasons.

“It’s really important that clinical trials for important drugs occur in children, otherwise we don’t know whether the drug behave the same way in children, whether the dose that has been chosen for adults is also appropriate for children, which often times it’s not,” Arnold said.

Arnold says companies are required by the FDA to do clinical trials on children before distributing.

She acknowledged that some parents may be apprehensive of letting their kids participate in clinical trials.

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News Reporter Nikita Dennis asked parents in Jackson if they would let their children participate.

Most of them said yes, saying it’s important for the community.

“It’s something that we need to find out what’s really going on about the COVID-19,” said Michael Brown.

“I want them to try to be safe with the vaccine, so yes,” said Joseph Shaw.

Others say they simply disagree.

“No, I would not,” said Asia Johnson.

Arnold says she encourages parents to let their kids participate, saying it will help decrease the number of COVID-19 cases in children.

“People need to know we’re not experimenting on their children. What we’re actually doing is learning how to safely provide important and needed treatments that exist to children,” Arnold said.

To learn more about Le Bonheur’s trial, click here.