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It may not look like it now, but Paige, 5, and Daniel, 3, weren't always this healthy. Just ask their mom, Jennifer Hinton.

"Many, many sleepless nights. Many trips to the doctor," Hinton said.

Both children spent the first few months of their lives fighting ear infections. Things got so bad for Paige she needed an ear tap, a procedure where a child's ear drum is punctured in order to relieve pressure. The drained fluid is tested to come up with a specific antibiotic.

"And that was really the end of her ear infections," Hinton said.

Daniel wasn't so lucky. After four ear taps, doctors decided he needed ear tubes.

"At that point, it's surgery and it's nerve racking," Hinton said.

Hinton's kids are not unique. Pediatricians treat 25 million of these cases each year.

"The main complication of ear infections is hearing loss," said Dr. Michael Pichichero.

For the last five years, Pichichero, and a team of researchers have been working on a way to better control these infections.

"This is a lead in to the development of a new vaccine to prevent ear infections," Pichichero said.

Through a multi-million dollar federal grant, 500 children in the Rochester area have been enrolled in a clinical trial. Those with chronic ear infections undergo ear taps and a series of blood tests. Researchers get valuable information on a child's immunity and the kids themselves get personalized care.

"We have reduced the frequency of ear infections for children in this study by 800 percent," Pichichero said.

This study was recently funded for another five years and after developing two sets of ingredients for a vaccine, Pichichero says his team is close.

"We have an agreement with a major vaccine company to move forward with a clinical trial, we hope, in 2014," said Pichichero.

While a vaccine would have helped Daniel, it appears his body is building its own immunity.

"This is actually the longest period he's gone in his life without having an ear infection," Hinton said.

Hinton hopes other children will be spared the pain her kids went through.

"As a parent, what you want for your kids is to be healthy and happy and this vaccine would help to ensure that," Hinton said.