Oct. 22, 2021 -- Pfizer says its vaccine for children is 90% effectual astatine preventing COVID-19 infections.
The Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 is 10 micrograms, astir one-third of the dose fixed to adolescents and adults.
In information presented to the FDA up of the agency’s reappraisal of its shots for children, the institution described the interim results of 2 ongoing studies investigating the information and effectiveness of its 10-microgram shots.
The vaccine effectiveness information comes from a survey of much than 2,000 kids ages 5 to 11. Two-thirds of the children were randomly assigned to person a child-sized dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, portion the different 3rd was sorted into the placebo group.
The survey got underway arsenic the Delta variant became ascendant astir the world. As of the archetypal week of October, 16 participants successful the placebo radical had gotten a symptomatic, lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection, compared with conscionable 3 who caught COVID successful the vaccinated group.
According to the company’s investigation of its ain studies, broadside effects seen successful the survey were astir each mild. The astir communal broadside effect reported was symptom astatine the tract of the shot. Kids successful the radical that received the vaccine besides had fatigue, headaches, fever, and chills astatine higher rates than were seen successful the placebo group. These were astir communal aft the 2nd dose. Some tegument reactions were seen successful the study, similar itching and rashes, but these were mostly mild and went distant wrong a fewer days.
Kids besides could person swollen lymph nodes aft their vaccinations, arsenic adults sometimes do, but these reactions were temporary.
One kid developed a tic, a recurring involuntary musculus twitch oregon vocal sound, that came 1 week aft their 2nd dose of the vaccine. It was judged by survey investigators to beryllium related to the vaccine. The institution says it was going distant by the clip the survey was being published.
Reassuringly, nary cases of bosom inflammation called myocarditis were recovered successful the study. Myocarditis is uncommon and temporary, but it requires infirmary care. The highest rates of myocarditis person been seen successful males younger than 30. That radical has a hazard of astir 11 cases for each 100,000 doses given, according to a caller survey successful the New England Journal of Medicine.
English (US) ·