ORLANDO, Fla. — Pfizer is the only FDA-authorized vaccine for ages 12 and up, but many families want to know when a COVID-19 vaccine will be available for younger children.

The FDA released information Friday confirming necessary clinical trials are underway. Andrew Roy was able to get his two sons into a clinical trial in Orlando through Pfizer. He says his 7-year-old and 5-year-old both received their first shot Tuesday and go back in three weeks for a second. 

“I’m really proud of them for how brave they were, not only getting the shot, but they had to have blood taken, and they were both so excited to tell me about how brave they were,” Roy explained.

The FDA said pediatric clinical trials require additional work on top of the adult studies already done because researchers have to make sure the vaccine dose and strength are safe for kids who are still growing. 

“The folks who administer the trial actually have a consent procedure for the kids to go through so they discuss all the procedures with them,” Roy said. 

The FDA recommends parents and others to get vaccinated, wear masks, and follow other precautions to protect those too young for the shot. Those are steps Roy and his family are taking. 

“We are still taking precautions as if they are not vaccinated, especially since we don’t really know,” he said. 

There is a chance his sons got a placebo, but by the end of the study, they will both will be vaccinated.

“It’s important to us not only to protect them, but to participate in the broader picture to try to get this thing to a point where just about everybody in the population can be vaccinated if they want to,” Roy said.

On Friday the FDA said they can’t give a specific date. They are working as fast as possible, and they hope to have the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine available in the coming months.