Longitudinal study of COVID-19 vaccine immunity in children and breast milk
Official title: Longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine-induced mucosal, serological, and cellular immunity in children and human milk
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11392364 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how COVID-19 mRNA vaccines affect kids, their mothers, and breastfed babies over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $801,422 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI173194-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392364 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are children up to 11 years old, their lactating mothers, and breastfeeding infants, enrolled after vaccines become available for younger ages.
✕Less likely to help
Children or families not participating in vaccination or not willing to provide samples may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will follow a group of children, lactating mothers, and their infants to track immune responses after receiving COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. The study uses blood, nasal, saliva, and breast milk samples collected every three months to profile mucosal, serological, and cellular immunity. By comparing responses across ages and in breast milk, the team aims to understand protection in both children and breastfeeding infants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide vaccination recommendations for children and breastfeeding families to optimize protection.
How similar studies have gone: The grant builds on a successful longitudinal cohort with prior pediatric and lactation-focused immune studies.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pannaraj, Pia S — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Pannaraj, Pia S
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.