Pfizer revealed this Monday, September 20, that its vaccine against Covid-19 is effective in children aged 5 to 11 years and will require authorization in the United States for this group soon, an advance in the vaccination of children.
The vaccine designed by Pfizer and German partner BioNTech is now available for teenagers aged 12 and over.
For younger school-age children, Pfizer tested a much lower dose, one-third the amount of each injection currently given.
However, after the second dose, children ages 5 to 11 developed levels of antibodies to the coronavirus as strong as adolescents and young adults, Pfizer vice president Bill Gruber told the Associated Press (AP).
Dosing for children is also safe, with few or similar side effects to teenagers, such as arm pain, fever or tiredness.
"I think we really hit the sweet spot," said Gruber, who is also a pediatrician.
The same official said that the companies intend to submit to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), by the end of the month, the request for emergency use of the vaccine in that age group, followed soon after by requests in the same direction with European regulators and in the United Kingdom.
Earlier this month, FDA official Peter Marks told the AP that when Pfizer completed the studies, the agency would evaluate the data, "in principle in a matter of weeks" to decide whether the injections are safe and effective enough for younger children. .
Many Western countries have so far not vaccinated children before age 12, waiting for evidence of what the right dose will be and that it will work safely in smaller portions.
But last week, Cuba began immunizing 2-year-olds with its vaccines, and the Chinese regulator authorized two of its brands for children under 2 years old.
While children are at lower risk of severe illness or death, compared to older people, more than five million children in the US have tested positive since the start of the pandemic, and at least 460 have died, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics .
Cases in children have increased dramatically since the Delta variant has spread across the country.
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