TEMPLE, Texas – As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, illness or disease caused by the SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection continues to spread. As part of an effort to better understand COVID-19 infection prevention and transmission in children, Baylor Scott & White Health is participating in a research initiative called the PROTECT (Pediatric Research Observing Trends and Exposures in COVID-19 Timelines) study.

Under the PROTECT study, Manjusha Gaglani, MD, director of the Center for Research in Vaccines and Infections, and the research team at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple is studying the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in children. The findings will help determine how children can safely interact with family and friends and participate in school or other extracurricular activities without restriction.

The study is voluntary and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Abt Associates. The Baylor Scott & White research team, together with other U.S. research programs, is enrolling up to 2,000 participants in the study until fall 2022.

Children between the ages of six months and 17 years who are in the Bell County area for the current and 2022-2023 school year may be eligible to join the study. Participants may be vaccinated or unvaccinated.

Families with children who qualify and decide to join will be asked to take online surveys that ask about their health and medical history, vaccinations, and their knowledge of and thoughts about COVID-19. PROTECT requires parents or guardians to have access to a cell phone with text capabilities and internet access. Parents and guardians must also be comfortable with collecting drop-off or mail-in nasal swabs once a week. Participants have the option to measure immune response to vaccines and COVID-19 via blood draw. PROTECT will last up to one year and participants can be compensated for their time and completion of different segments of the study. The study will not provide vaccines to participants.

While parents and guardians are not eligible for the PROTECT study, they may be eligible for the Research on the Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Essential Response Personnel (RECOVER) study to aid in determining the frequency of symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 infection and the frequency of COVID-19 reinfections among personnel who have prior COVID-19 infection and effectiveness of vaccination including booster doses.

If you have questions about the PROTECT study or are interested in registering your child, please email HCP@bswhealth.org or call 254-724-8193.

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About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com