Pfizer’s Vaccine Safe for Children as Young as 12

   After Pfizer reported that its COVID vaccine is 100% effective is 12 to 15 years old, in the coming weeks, the pharmaceutical company and its German partner BioNTech plan to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European regulators to lower the age for whom they allow emergency use of the vaccine from 16 to 12 years old.

  While children are far less likely than adults to get seriously ill from COVID, at least 268 have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. alone and more than 13,500 have been hospitalized, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

   Children comprise approximately 13% of the COVID-19 cases that have been documented in the U.S., and a small number of children have developed a serious inflammatory condition linked to the coronavirus.

   After Pfizer studied 2,260 U.S. volunteers who were 12 to 15, preliminary data showed that none of the fully vaccinated volunteers were infected with COVID-19, although 18 of the volunteers who were given placebo shots did become infected with COVID, Pfizer reported.

   Pfizer’s researchers reported higher levels of virus-fighting antibodies in children who were given the vaccine, although the AP pointed out that the study was small and not yet published.

   Another important piece of evidence that is yet to be determined is how well the shots activate the kids’ immune systems, as the COVID vaccines do for adults.

   After taking the vaccine, children, just as adults do, reported side effects, such as pain, fever, chills and fatigue: particularly after the second shot, said Pfizer, who will continue to track its study’s young participants for two years for more information about long-term protection and safety.

   Many adults, however, say they feel no side effects after taking the vaccine.

   Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca are also conducting studies on younger teens and children. 

   In China, Sinovac recently announced preliminary data that shows its vaccine is safe for children as young as 3.

 Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office