Pfizer's lower-dose children's COVID-19 vaccine appears safe and nearly 91% effective at preventing symptomatic infections in children ages 5 to 11, according to details of a study released Friday, while the U.S. is considering starting vaccinations for this age group.
Vaccination of this group could begin in early November if regulators give the go-ahead. Food and Drug Administration advisers will publicly discuss the study next week. The FDA is expected to release the conclusions of its independent review of the Pfizer vaccine's safety and effectiveness data later in the day. If the FDA gives the go-ahead for the vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will make the final decision on which groups should get them in early November.
The Pfizer vaccines are already licensed for anyone 12 and older, but pediatricians and many parents are looking forward to immunizing younger children to curb rising infections from the highly contagious delta variant and so kids can keep going In school.
More than 25,000 pediatricians and other health care workers have already registered to receive the vaccines they will give to children.
President Biden's administration has purchased enough doses for nearly 28 million children ages 5-11, in a special package with an orange lid to distinguish it from the vaccine for adults.
Pfizer did a study with 2,268 children in that age group who received two doses three weeks apart, some of a placebo, some of a low-dose vaccine. Each dose was one-third of the amount given to adolescents and adults.
Experts calculated that the low-dose vaccine was nearly 91% effective. None of the children had a severe case of infection, but the vaccinated had much milder symptoms than the unvaccinated.
What's more, young children who received the low doses developed levels of antibodies that fight the coronavirus as high as teenagers and young adults who received the regular doses.
This information is important given that hospitalizations of mostly unvaccinated children reached record levels last month.
The CDC reported earlier this week that although cases with the delta variant spiked between June and September, the Pfizer vaccines were 93% effective in preventing hospitalizations among 12- to 18-year-olds.
Pfizer's study of younger children concluded that the low-dose vaccines were safe, with similar or milder temporary side effects such as arm pain, fever or other pain experienced by teenagers.
The study is not large enough to identify any extremely rare side effects, such as inflammation of the heart that occasionally occurs after the second dose, mostly in young people.
Edhe kompania Moderna po studion vaksinën e saj për COVID-19 tek të rinjtë e moshës shkollore. Pfizer dhe Moderna po bëjnë studime edhe për vaksina për fëmijë më të vegjël, deri në 6 muajsh. Rezultatet priten më vonë gjatë vitit./VOA/