Pfizer announced Monday its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for kids as young as five years old. The video above shows Pfizer Senior Vice President Dr. Bill Gruber discussing the announcement.
In a news release, Pfizer said it tested a much lower dose of its vaccine on kids in the 5-11 age group than what is currently available to people 12 years and older. Despite only getting about a third of the normal amount of the Pfizer vaccine, the 5-to-11-year-old kids developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults.
“We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children,” Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said.
Pfizer Senior Vice President Dr. Bill Gruber said the smaller dose of the vaccine was also safe for kids 5-11 years old. Side effects were similar to the effects teens experience, like sore arms, fever or achiness.
“I think we really hit the sweet spot,” Gruber said. He said Pfizer and BioNTech aim to apply for emergency use of its vaccine for kids 5-11 with the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the month. Earlier this month, FDA chief Dr. Peter Marks said once Pfizer turns over its study results, the FDA would evaluate the data “hopefully in a matter of weeks”.
Pfizer and BioNTech will apply with European and British regulators shortly after applying with the FDA.
“These trial results provide a strong foundation for seeking authorization of our vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulators with urgency,” Bourla said.
The announcement comes as most U.S. students are back in the classroom and cases in kids are skyrocketing.
“Since July, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the U.S. – underscoring the public health need for vaccination,” Bourla said.
Kids are at lower risk of severe illness or death than older people. However, more than 5 million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began and at least 460 have died, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.