According to The Defender, Novavax, an American biotechnology company, is offering parents financial incentives to enroll their children in the vaccine manufacturer’s Phase 2/3 COVID-19 jab trial for children aged six months through 11 years.

The trial, called the “Hummingbird” trial, began Phase 2/3 in 2022.

“The trial will evaluate the safety, effectiveness (immunogenicity), and efficacy of two doses of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine (NVX-CoV2373) in younger children aged six months through 11 years, followed by a booster at six months after the primary vaccination series,” Novavax stated.

“The trial will seek to enroll 3,600 participants in the US, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Spain, UK, South Africa, Philippines, and Brazil. Initial results are expected in Q1 2023,” the company wrote.

“Novavax is offering parents up to $3,000 to enroll their children in the vaccine maker’s Phase 2/3 COVID-19 vaccine trial for infants and children ages 6 months to 11 years,” Children’s Health Defense noted.

The study is expected to run through 2025.

Per The Defender:

The children will receive three injections and visit the clinic eight times. Parents will participate in three phone calls and keep an e-diary of the vaccine’s effects on their child. Some children will receive two additional injections, for a total of five shots.

The study website promises, “You will be compensated for your time and travel regardless of your immigration status. Transportation to the study site may also be provided, as available. No health insurance is required to participate.”

Recruitment materials from Be Well Clinical Studies, which is running one of the U.S. trials, state that compensation can be more than $3,000 over two years.

A 2023 video explaining the study also promises incentives for the children, including “a Covid stuffed animal.”

In the video, a pastor from Louisiana who has four children enrolled in the study said incentives like the stuffed animal made the kids even “more excited than the parents” to participate.

WATCH:

The study website reads:

The HUMMINGBIRD study, for children 6 months to 11 years old, is testing an investigational vaccine (also known as a study vaccine) called NVX-CoV2373, designed to prevent COVID-19. The HUMMINGBIRD study will test the study vaccine against a placebo to make sure the vaccine is safe and effective in children. More than 49,000 clinical trial participants (12 years and older) have been vaccinated with NVX-CoV2373 for the prevention of mild, moderate, or severe COVID-19. NVX-CoV2373 has been authorized in various countries for adolescents and adults 12 years of age and older.

Now, researchers are evaluating the vaccine in younger children. Three age groups will be recruited, starting with the oldest age group, and moving to younger age groups over time. HUMMINGBIRD is a Phase 2/3 study sponsored by Novavax, Inc., a US-based pharmaceutical company. This global trial is expected to begin in the United States in August 2022 and end in November 2025.

“The FDA has authorized previous versions of the Novavax vaccine, but only for children ages 12 and up,” The Defender noted.

On Friday, the FDA granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for an updated version of the Novavax COVID-19 jab in individuals 12 years of age and older.

“Novavax has received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. #FDA for its updated COVID-19 vaccine in individuals aged 12 and older. Pre-filled syringes are expected to be available in thousands of locations across the U.S. in the coming days,” Novavax wrote.

 

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