Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine more than 90% effective in kids

By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MATTHEW PERRONE

Kid-size doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine look harmless and astir 91% effectual astatine preventing symptomatic infections successful 5- to 11-year-olds, according to survey details released Friday arsenic the U.S. considers opening vaccinations to that property group.

The shots could statesman successful aboriginal November — with the archetypal children successful enactment afloat protected by Christmas — if regulators springiness the go-ahead.

Details of Pfizer’s survey were posted online. The Food and Drug Administration was expected to station its autarkic reappraisal of the company’s information and effectiveness information aboriginal successful the day.

Advisers to the FDA volition publically statement the grounds adjacent week. If the bureau yet authorizes the shots, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention volition marque the last determination connected who should person them.

Full-strength Pfizer shots already are authorized for anyone 12 oregon older, but pediatricians and galore parents are anxiously awaiting extortion for younger children to stem rising infections from the extra-contagious delta variant and assistance support kids successful school.

More than 25,000 pediatricians and superior attraction providers already person signed up to get the shots into small arms.

The Biden medication has purchased capable kid-size doses — successful peculiar orange-capped vials to separate them from big vaccine — for the nation’s astir 28 cardinal 5- to 11-year-olds. If the vaccine is cleared, millions of doses volition beryllium promptly shipped astir the country, on with kid-size needles.

A Pfizer survey tracked 2,268 kids successful that property radical who got 2 shots 3 weeks isolated of either a placebo oregon the low-dose vaccine. Each dose was one-third the magnitude fixed to teens and adults.

Researchers calculated the low-dose vaccine was astir 91% effective, based connected 16 COVID-19 cases successful youngsters fixed dummy shots versus 3 cases among vaccinated children. There were nary terrible illnesses reported among immoderate of the youngsters, but the vaccinated ones had overmuch milder symptoms than their unvaccinated counterparts.

In addition, young children fixed the low-dose shots developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels conscionable arsenic beardown arsenic teens and young adults who got regular-strength vaccinations.

That’s important accusation considering that hospitalizations of mostly unvaccinated children reached grounds levels past month.

The CDC reported earlier this week that adjacent arsenic the delta mutant surged betwixt June and September, Pfizer vaccinations were 93% effectual astatine preventing hospitalizations among 12- to 18-year-olds.

Pfizer’s survey of younger kids recovered the low-dose shots proved safe, with akin oregon less impermanent broadside effects specified arsenic sore arms, fever oregon achiness that teens experience.

The survey isn’t ample capable to observe immoderate highly uncommon broadside effects, specified arsenic the bosom inflammation that occasionally occurs aft the 2nd dose, mostly successful young men.

While children tally a little hazard of terrible unwellness oregon decease than older people, COVID-19 has killed much than 630 Americans 18 and under, according to the CDC. Nearly 6.2 cardinal children person been infected with the coronavirus, much than 1.1 cardinal successful the past six weeks arsenic the delta mutant surged, the American Academy of Pediatrics says.

Moderna besides is studying its COVID-19 shots successful simple school-age youngsters. Pfizer and Moderna are studying adjacent younger children arsenic well, down to 6-month-olds. Results are expected aboriginal successful the year.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives enactment from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely liable for each content.