Clinical trials are underway to test the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on children as young as 6 months old.

It is a question on many parents’ minds – whether to have their children vaccinated with the new COVID-19 shots if they are approved for use.

“When I think about it, it makes me nervous,” says Ro DiBella, who has a 1-year-old and another child on the way.

“I personally would just feel more comfortable with more time spent with research and some long-term studies so we have more data there,” she says.

Rutgers University is also expected to start clinical trials on the vaccine for children.

“It’s very exciting and it’s very important,” says Rutgers’ Dr. Sunanda Gaur.

Gaur has been running clinical trials in children for years. She says that vaccinating them will help in the quest for herd immunity. Even though it is rare for kids to get really sick from the coronavirus.

“There is a subset that does get very sick and also children are out in school and other areas in the community and can get the infection and pass it on.

Some politicians like state Sen. Joe Vitale propose making it law that COVID-19 vaccines be mandatory for school once they are deemed safe. The senator did not respond to requests for comment.

Health experts project that young teens could be eligible for the vaccine by the fall and that elementary students could be eligible by 2022.

Rutgers is expected to soon begin recruiting children for the trials with the help of area pediatricians.