Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was 73% efficient in defending kids youthful than 5 as Omicron unfold within the spring, the corporate introduced Tuesday.
Vaccinations for infants, toddlers and preschoolers opened within the U.S. in June after months of delay. Solely about 6% of kids ages 6 months by means of 4 years had gotten at the very least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by mid-August, in response to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Well being authorities licensed the smaller vaccine doses made by Pfizer and its companion BioNTech based mostly on a examine displaying they have been secure and produced excessive ranges of virus-fighting antibodies. However there was solely preliminary knowledge on how that translated into effectiveness in opposition to symptomatic COVID-19.
The brand new replace analyzed COVID-19 diagnoses between March and June in Pfizer’s ongoing examine of the three-dose vaccine. There have been 21 COVID-19 circumstances among the many 351 kids underneath 5 who acquired dummy pictures, in comparison with simply 13 among the many 794 kids given three vaccine doses.
The infections primarily have been attributable to the BA.2 Omicron subvariant that was circulating on the time. At present, one other Omicron relative, BA.5, is inflicting most infections within the U.S. and far of the world.
In older kids and adults, the COVID-19 vaccines have been used lengthy sufficient to show that they continue to be strongly protecting in opposition to extreme illness and dying even because the coronavirus mutates.
Pfizer this week requested U.S. regulators to authorize a modified model of its vaccine that targets the BA.5 and BA.4 strains, for use as boosters for individuals 12 and older this fall. The corporate stated it is also growing up to date pictures for youngsters underneath 12.
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