The science on COVID-19 vaccines for teenagers underneath 12 nonetheless wants work. That is the fundamental conclusion you’ll be able to draw from a variety of research and scientific trials revealed over the previous few months.
Take this examine into the BioNTech-Pfizer COVID vaccine.
In a pre-print revealed in February, researchers instructed that the vaccine offered virtually zero safety towards an infection for youngsters between 5 and 11 years of age.
The researchers had carried out their examine between mid-December 2021 and the top of January 2022. That was throughout the peak of the omicron surge of the coronavirus.
They discovered that the vaccine’s skill to guard children towards an infection dropped from 68% to 12% over the course of that point. In adolescents, safety fell from 66% firstly to 51% by the top of the examine — say the researchers.
When it got here to stopping critical infections, the vaccine’s efficacy seems to have been extra secure.
Its skill to scale back the danger of hospitalization for youngsters aged 12-17 years fell from 85% in mid-December to 73% in late January. For the 5 to 11-year-olds, the quantity dropped from 100% to 48%.
The information are “not shocking,” write the researchers. The BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine was developed for an earlier COVID-19 variant, they are saying, and related outcomes have been discovered “to a point” in trials with different vaccines, the place children of the identical ages additionally received two doses.
Totally different vaccines, totally different doses
The examine affords a placing perception into the efficacy of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine amongst children of very related ages.
Among the many 11-year-olds within the examine, the vaccine’s efficacy was 11% on the finish of January. However among the many 12-year-olds, its efficacy was nonetheless a lot greater at 67%.
The explanation for that giant distinction “might be as a consequence of dosage,” write the examine authors.
The 11-year-olds received two 10 microgram doses of the vaccine. And the 12-year-olds received two 30 microgram doses — that is one yr’s age distinction, and thrice the dose.
Simply to check, Moderna has opted for a 50 microgram dose of its vaccine for six to 11-year-olds. That’s precisely half the dose of its vaccine for adults.
The examine affords a placing perception into the efficacy of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine amongst children of very related ages.
Among the many 11-year-olds within the examine, the vaccine’s efficacy was 11% on the finish of January. However among the many 12-year-olds, its efficacy was nonetheless a lot greater at 67%.
The explanation for that giant distinction “might be as a consequence of dosage,” write the examine authors.
The 11-year-olds received two 10 microgram doses of the vaccine. And the 12-year-olds received two 30 microgram doses — that is one yr’s age distinction, and thrice the dose.
Simply to check, Moderna has opted for a 50 microgram dose of its vaccine for six to 11-year-olds. That’s precisely half the dose of its vaccine for adults.
What about vaccines for the actually little ones?
Final September, Pfizer mentioned it was engaged on a vaccine for youngsters aged between 2 and 4 years.
The corporate’s CEO Albert Bourla mentioned they’d have information on the effectiveness of a two-dose, 3 microgram shot by the top of 2021. They mentioned they’d even be prepared to start regulatory approval processes.
However when that information turned out there in December, Pfizer mentioned it wished to take the examine additional and have a look at the results of a 3rd dose.
Why is it taking so lengthy?
When the vaccine was first developed, most scientific consideration was centered on measuring effectiveness in individuals who skilled the worst diseases from the virus. That included older individuals and people whose immune programs had been compromised due to an present situation. It didn’t embody youngsters.
Youngsters weren’t experiencing the identical critical results of the virus as adults, and that made children a decrease precedence.
Little children, in contrast to adults, simply do not get very sick from COVID, mentioned Hübner. “It does occur,” he mentioned, “nevertheless it’s uncommon.”
Earlier than the omicron variant turned dominant, says Hübner, he noticed one baby each couple of weeks. Now that quantity has elevated to round 5 – 6 at a time. However the youngsters are all in regular wards, he says. None of them want intensive care.
Parental attitudes to vaccination
A few of the mother and father he sees are anxious to vaccinate their children as quickly as doable, says Hübner, however that is not how nearly all of mother and father really feel.
Vaccine acceptance amongst mother and father who’ve youngsters aged between 5 and 11 years is decrease than common vaccination charges amongst older individuals — simply 17% of youngsters get vaccinated. Even amongst German adolescents, solely round 28% are totally vaccinated.
However Hübner says the low vaccination charges should not a giant deal.
“I believe for the children, it would not matter,” he mentioned. “If you wish to defend the inhabitants from COVID, it’s essential vaccinate adults as a result of they’re those who get critically sick. For the children, it isn’t as essential.”
Nevertheless, in case your baby is immunocompromised or lives with somebody who has a excessive threat as a consequence of an present situation, says Hübner, it’s a totally different story. These children ought to undoubtedly get vaccinated.
Though the danger that they’d get very sick themselves is small, Hübner says he would vaccinate his personal small children and suggest his sufferers do the identical.
Edited by: Zulfikar Abbany