SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Pfizer announced on Wednesday findings of its study in children, a study that Upstate University Hospital was key to. The study releases said that its shot is 100% effective on children ages 12 to 15 and this group had an even higher immune response than the young adult cohort.

Now, Upstate University Hospital will be one of the first sites in the world to enroll children under 5 years old in a new Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine trial which will begin April 5.

Dr. Joseph Domachowske, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Upstate University Hospital said, “The trial that we’re beginning at the beginning of next week, we’re starting a new trial in children, and the first step there is dose selection in those children who are younger than 12 years of age.”

Domachowske, an expert in pediatric infectious diseases who has spent 30 years caring for children at Upstate, understands the significance of this vaccination effort as the world tries to recover from the grips of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the virus has disproportionately impacted adults, children have become infected and some have had serious complications. 

The study will roll out in phases over the next few months and Upstate is looking for participants.

To be eligible for the study, children between 6 months and 11 years of age must be in good health and be able to make a two-year commitment to the study. Volunteers will be required to provide blood samples for up to two years after receiving the vaccine/placebo. Participants might be seen up to 10 times during the two-year study period. The two-year time frame for the study is important to assess the safety and long-term immune response.

Study visits will take place in Upstate’s Pediatric Infectious Diseases outpatient clinic located on the fifth floor of the Physicians Office Building, Irving Avenue. 

For more information on the trial or to sign up, call the dedicated study phone line 24/7 at 315-706-5636, or email Jodi Halczyn at halczynj@upstate.edu.

Dr. Domachowske says Pfizer already plans to submit a vaccination amendment for the 12 to 15 age group for FDA approval and predicts we could see that group getting vaccinated by June or earlier.

Watch NewsChannel 9’s full interview with Dr. Domachowske on the pediatric vaccine trials at Upstate by clicking here.