(Canadian Press)

By Canadian Press

Trial finds Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine safe for kids aged 5-11

Sep 20, 2021 | 10:13 AM

Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages five to 11 and that it will seek U-S authorization for this age group soon.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and older. However, with kids back in school and the extra-contagious Delta variant causing a huge jump in pediatric infections, many parents want vaccinations for their younger children.

The drugmaker lowered the dosage to one-third of the amount in adult shots. It found that after a second dose, children developed antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults.

Pfizer noted that the children’s dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects — such as sore arms, fever or achiness — that teens experience.

The companies aim to apply to the U-S Food and Drug Administration by the end of the month for emergency use in children.

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Pfizer studied the lower dose in 22-hundred and 68 kindergartners and elementary school-aged kids.

The study still is ongoing, and isn’t large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that sometimes occurs after the second dose, mostly in young men.

Moderna is also studying its shots in elementary school-aged children.

(The Canadian Press)