Pfizer COVID vaccine protects children — even more than adults, trial study finds
The two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which was the first shot authorized for emergency use in the U.S., reduced risk of coronavirus infection in children 12-15 years old by 100%, meaning no vaccinated kids were infected during the late stage trial.
It’s a stunning boost in protection against COVID-19 compared to for people between 16 and 25 years old, who benefit from a 95% reduction in infection risks after receiving their second, final dose, the companies said Wednesday in a statement.
Side effects in children such as arm pain, fatigue, headache and joint pain were comparable to those in adults. No serious allergic reactions were reported among the kids in the study. But the companies note that some cases have occurred in adults during mass vaccination outside of clinical trials, so such reactions “may become apparent with more widespread use” of the vaccine.
Top officials in the companies said they hope to start vaccinating this age group before the next school year starts this fall.
“Across the globe, we are longing for a normal life. This is especially true for our children. The initial results we have seen in the adolescent studies suggest that children are particularly well protected by vaccination, which is very encouraging given the trends we have seen in recent weeks regarding the spread of the B.1.1.7 UK variant,” Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, said in the statement. “It is very important to enable them to get back to everyday school life and to meet friends and family while protecting them and their loved ones.”
The trial included 2,260 children between 12 and 15 years old in the U.S. with or without histories of past coronavirus infections. Among the kids who received a placebo shot, 18 developed COVID-19, while none who got the vaccine developed the disease, demonstrating “robust antibody responses.”
The companies did not mention how well its vaccine worked against the more contagious coronavirus variants, but the variants have been spreading during the late stage trial period.
Side effects were similar to those experienced in adults and included injection site pain (84%), fatigue (63%), headache (55%), muscle pain (38%), chills (32%), joint pain (24%), fever (14%), injection site swelling (10.5%) and nausea (1%).
What’s next?
There’s been a fierce focus on what the remaining and upcoming school year will look like as the coronavirus and its variants continue to spread, and as millions of Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19 every day.
Mounting evidence suggests coronavirus transmission in school settings is low, as well as the likelihood a school-aged kid will become severely ill from COVID-19. Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance for K-12 schools, saying students can maintain a distance of at least 3 feet instead of 6 in classroom settings if everyone, including staff, is wearing face masks.
Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told the New York Times she’s not sure how many parents will feel comfortable vaccinating their kids, but the new results could likely reassure some who have been wary of the shot’s safety.
“While I don’t think we have to wait until children are vaccinated to fully reopen schools, being able to vaccinate children may help some families feel safer about returning to school,” Nuzzo said.
And kids matter, too, when it comes to herd immunity — when enough people have protection against COVID-19 that the virus can no longer spread easily between people.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said during a Senate hearing with the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that “we don’t really know what that magical point of herd immunity is, but we do know that if we get the overwhelming population vaccinated, we’re going to be in good shape.”
He added that “we ultimately would like to get and have to get children into that mix,” especially high school students who are capable of spreading the coronavirus at a higher rate than younger kids.
Pfizer and BioNTech also said they vaccinated the first group of kids in its study among children between 6 months and 11 years old last week. This study is separated into three age groups: children aged 5 to 11 years, 2 to 5 years, and 6 months to 2 years.
All the kids in the study will “continue to be monitored for long-term protection and safety for an additional two years after their second dose,” the companies said, adding that they plan to submit the data for scientific peer review and to the Food and Drug Administration “as soon as possible to request expansion of the Emergency Use Authorization.”
The Pfizer vaccine is currently authorized for emergency use in people 16 and up.
This story was originally published March 31, 2021 at 10:22 AM with the headline "Pfizer COVID vaccine protects children — even more than adults, trial study finds."
