Are new COVID vaccine trials unnecessary?

In an interview, Joe Rogan and Elon Musk claimed that COVID is no longer a threat to the public, so trials of new vaccines, especially those involving children, should end.

COVID has become less deadly due to vaccines, treatments, and immunity, but it is still a serious disease, especially for high-risk groups, including children with weakened immune systems. The idea that “no one is dying” is false; as of 2023, it was the 10th leading cause of death in the US.

Testing vaccines in children is not only necessary but also a normal and careful process to ensure safety. Every vaccine must go through clinical trials before approval, and these trials follow strict safety rules. The number 10,000 might sound large, but it’s actually a standard size for vaccine clinical trials to make sure they work and have no harmful side effects. Children’s immune systems can respond differently than adults’, so studies are needed to make sure vaccines are both safe and effective for them.

Stopping a well-designed clinical trial is not a victory; it can actually delay the availability of safer, more effective vaccines for children. The claim that stopping trials protects kids ignores the fact that clinical trials exist to prevent unsafe vaccines from ever reaching the public.