Pfizer says the COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective in children

This photo, provided by Pfizer, shows a child-sized inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccine in Puurs, Belgium this month. Pfizer via AP

Pfizer’s child-sized dose of COVID-19 vaccine is safe, 5-11, according to study details published Friday, as the United States is considering starting vaccination for that age group. It is almost 91% effective in preventing symptomatic infections of the age.

With regulatory approval, the shot will begin in early November and the first children will be fully protected by Christmas. This represents a significant expansion of the US vaccine drive for approximately 28 million elementary school adolescents.

Details of Pfizer’s research have been posted online. The Food and Drug Administration was expected to post its own review of the company’s safety and efficacy data later that day.

FDA advisers will discuss the evidence publicly next week. If the agency itself approves the shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make the final decision as to who should receive the shot.

Full-strength Pfizer shots are already allowed for everyone over the age of 12, but pediatricians and many parents have recorded hospitalizations from highly contagious delta variants in young children to stop the increase in infection. And longing for protection to help send children to school.

Dr. Sonya Rasmussen, a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Florida, called Pfizer’s data “really reassuring” and predicted that the FDA and CDC would approve the shot.

She said it was encouraging to see the vaccine effective at one-third dose. This reduces the potential for arm pain, fever, and other mild effects that can be caused by immunization, Rasmussen said.

“There are no warning signs here that involve the people involved,” said Rasmussen, who was not involved in the investigation. The result is good news for “many families waiting to be vaccinated before vacation”.

The Biden administration has purchased a special child-sized dose of orange-clad vials for children aged 5 to 11 years in the country to distinguish it from the adult vaccine. Once the vaccine is cleared, millions of doses will soon be shipped nationwide, along with child-sized needles.

Over 25,000 pediatricians and primary care providers have already signed up to turn shots into small weapons.

The Pfizer study followed 2,268 children in groups of 5-11 who received either placebo or a low-dose vaccine twice at 3-week intervals. Each dose was one-third of the dose given to teens and adults.

Based on 16 COVID-19 cases in adolescents given dummy shots and 3 cases in vaccinated children, the researchers calculated that the low-dose vaccine was nearly 91 percent effective. No serious illness was reported in any of the adolescents, but vaccinated adolescents showed far milder symptoms than unvaccinated adolescents.

Most of the study data was collected in the United States in August and September when the delta mutant became the major COVID-19 strain.

In addition, infants who received low-dose injections developed antibody levels that fight the coronavirus as strong as regular vaccinated teens and young adults.

As another encouraging news, the CDC reported earlier this week that Pfizer vaccination was 93% effective in preventing hospitalizations aged 12-18, even with a surge in delta variants in the summer.

A study conducted by Pfizer on young children proved that low-dose shots were safe and had the same or equal temporary side effects such as arm pain, fever, and pain experienced by teens. Turned out to be less.

This study is not large enough to detect very rare side effects, such as occasional heart inflammation, that occur after the second dose, primarily in young men.

According to the CDC, children have a lower risk of serious illness and death than older people, but COVID-19 killed more than 630 Americans under the age of 18. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 6.2 million children have been infected with the coronavirus, and the proliferation of delta variants has infected more than 1.1 million in the last six weeks.

Moderna is also studying COVID-19 shots for young elementary school students. Pfizer and Moderna are also studying younger children up to 6 months old. Results are expected later this year.

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