The Pfizer vaccine is effective for children of age around 5 to 11 in fighting the Covid virus – said Pfizer on Sept 20, Monday. The company will be taking authorization from the U.S. for this age group.
Pfizer and BioNTech jointly introduced the Covid vaccine for people age 12 or more. However, the kids below that age were at risk to the contagious Delta variant until today when Pfizer made an announcement for a vaccine now available for children of ages 5 to 11. Parents everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief with this news.
Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer, said, “Over the past nine months, hundreds of millions of people ages 12 and older from around the world have received our COVID-19 vaccine. We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children,”
Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11
Pfizer introduced a lighter dose for children, which is a third portion of the amount currently given to adults in a single dose. Though, the vaccine generates a similar level of antibodies, strong enough to fight Covid in children ages 5 to 11 – said senior VP of Pfizer, Dr. Bill Gruber, to The Associated Press.
Moreover, the CEO of partner company BioNTech, Dr. Ugur Sahin, said, “The safety profile and immunogenicity data in children aged 5 to 11 years vaccinated at a lower dose are consistent with those we have observed with our vaccine in other older populations at a higher dose,”
Even though kids have stronger immunity than adults, around 5 million children in the US tested for Covid positive, and 460 have died to date – stated American Academy of Pediatrics.
More cases have been seen countrywide since the Delta Variant surged.
Pfizer said that it has been testing the vaccine for kids in around 2,268 kindergartners and primary school kids. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required a “bridging” study – proof to show that younger children have developed antibodies and that the vaccine is safe for kids – Pfizer stated that in a press release that took place on Sept 20, Monday.
Since the study conducted on the vaccine is not large enough to detect any severe side effects like inflammation or heart attack that have been found in adults mostly. According to the FDA requirements, the study should be large and strong enough to eliminate any severe health risks for children. They will be closely monitored for any rare side effects.
Furthermore, Moderna and Pfizer are reported to be studying vaccines in younger children ages down to six months. The final results are yet to be revealed.
