A healthcare worker prepares a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a pop-up store in New York City last October.
Image of Michael M. Santiago / Getty
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Image of Michael M. Santiago / Getty
A healthcare worker prepares a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a pop-up store in New York City last October.
Image of Michael M. Santiago / Getty
The low-dose version of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine appears to be much less effective in protecting young children against infection than the higher-dose version of the vaccine given to older children and adults. big, ah new research Shows.
In all cases, vaccines have been shown to provide strong protection against severe illness. The pre-reviewed study reviewed data collected from more than 1.2 million fully vaccinated children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 17 between December 13 and January 30.
Researchers from the New York State Department of Health found that the ability to protect children on the lowest dose — those 5 to 11 years old — from contracting the virus fell the most, from 68 percent to just 12 percent. Those kids were given just 10 milligrams, a third of the dose given to older children, teenagers, and adults.
Meanwhile, effectiveness in children 12 to 17 years old, who took the same 30-milligram dose as adults, showed a smaller decline, falling from 66% to 51%.
“These results highlight the potential need for alternative pediatric vaccine dosing studies and the continuing importance of [of] The study highlights multi-layered protective measures, including wearing a mask, to prevent infection and transmission.
The results of the study came just a few days after The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has relaxed its mask-wearing guidelines In many parts of the United States and on the same day, several school districts, including New York City – the largest city in the country – announced that the mask-wearing policy for students would soon be lifted.
It also follows a unexpected delay is in the process of authorizing the emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in children 6 months to 4 years of age. The company said new data had emerged, and the Food and Drug Administration said it needed more time to evaluate the data.
