Plano clinic administers COVID-19 vaccine to children as part of national trial

ACRC Trials, a Plano-based company, has completed the adolescent trials for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

Nationally, a few thousand patients between the ages of 12 and 17 participated, Heema Marwah, owner and research director of the clinic, told WFAA-TV.The Plano clinic could only enroll about 200 patients, but more than 1,000 were on a waitlist, Marwah told the TV station.

The demand reflects how badly North Texans want to get back to their regular lives and not worrying about daily activities such as going to school and playing sports, according to Marwah.

One of the teens who participated was Maddie Whynot, 16.

“I just want to help wherever I can,” Whynot told the TV station. “And I saw this as a great opportunity.”

ACRC Trials is one of 10 facilities in the country that will also participate in the first round for a pediatric trial for the vaccine for children ages 6 months to 11, according to the report.

Questions about enrolling are already coming in, and clinic workers are reviewing every patient’s medical records. The trial will involve testing different dosage amounts.

Starting Monday, any adult in Texas can receive the COVID-19. The move, announced Tuesday, stands to make Texas the largest in the country to open up shots to anyone.