By Hector J. Cordero, M.D.
Just like it’s critical for the elderly to get their pneumococcal vaccinations, it’s also just as critical for babies. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends routine administration of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13 or Prevnar13®) for all children younger than 2 years of age:
• Give PCV13 to infants as a series of 4 doses, one dose at each of these ages: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 12 through 15 months.
• Children who miss their shots or start the series later should still get the vaccine. The number of doses recommended and the intervals between doses will depend on the child’s age when vaccination begins.
PNEUMONIA IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF INFECTIOUS DEATH IN CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE—IT KILLS 1.4 MILLION CHILDREN PER YEAR.
Babies are at risk of infections from adults or other children. When germs are spread, babies’ immune systems are not able to fight off serious diseases like bacterial meningitis, pneumonia, and airborne or blood-borne illnesses. It’s not uncommon for a caregiver, parent or grandparent to infect innocent children with infectious diseases. And the risk of hospitalization, suffering from pain, breathing disorders, or congestion is all too frequent in these cases, and unfortunately, many children die from going unprotected by these important vaccines.
Advanced Research for Health Improvement (ARHI) is now taking pediatric participants in an ongoing pneumococcal vaccine trial developed by the Pharmaceutical Merck Sharp & Dohme.
Eligibility for inclusion in this study, the participant must:
• Be healthy (based on a review of medical history and physical examination) based on the clinical judgment of the investigator
• Male or female
• Age range from 42 days to 90 days of age inclusive, at the time of signing the informed consent.
Dr. Hector Cordero is the Principal Investigator in this pediatric study. Dr. Cordero graduated from University Autonomous of Santo Domingo and completed his residency at UMDNJ in Newark, NJ. Dr. Cordero has 15+ years of experience in pediatric clinical trials. Dr. Cordero is a Pediatrician specializing in the areas of asthma, ear, nose & throat diseases, metabolic disease, and allergies.
Clinical trials or medical research studies offer a way for researchers to bring new therapies, medications, vaccines, and devices quicker to patients that need them. When a trial is held, rigorous protocols are always in place to protect the patient’s best outcome. Before phase one of any medical trial is brought to humans, they conduct thorough laboratory testing.
The IRB (Institutional Review Board) monitors all clinical trials to make certain that patients are protected. This independent committee of medical professionals and advocates keep track and make sure that federal regulations, ethics, and patients rights are upheld throughout the process.
How Clinical Trials Help
Disease states, illnesses and disorders are able to launch innovative and the most advanced treatments when clinical trials show positive outcomes. The average clinical trial allows advanced treatment options to be implemented in patient therapy protocols in an advantageous manner. Clinical trials also have helped countless individuals stave off disease states while under medical care during their researched disorder.
At Advanced Research for Health Improvement (ARHI), they believe that clinical studies will advance medicine and help people live better lives. With this mentality, they strive for greatness in each area of work that they do.
Participate in this or other Studies
In addition to the pediatric Pneumococcal Vaccine trial, ARHI is currently accepting participants for studies in the areas of Heart Failure, Pediatric Asthma, Crohn’s Disease and Stem Cell Research.
To find out more, please contact them today at, 239-230-2021, or email them at info@arhiusa.com.