By Allie Leen
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been available for anyone 16 years or older since the 11th of December, 2020. On the 10th of May, 2021 the vaccine was approved for 12 to 15 year-olds. At the time that this article was written, clinical trials were underway for kids from 6 months to 11 years of age, to be cleared for the vaccine. Experts anticipate that these children will be eligible to receive their shots by early November to mid December, 2021.
Following the success of the vaccine in children aged 12-15, Pfizer decided to start testing on 144 younger kids. This testing began with the oldest children, ages 5 to 11, and then next in kids ages 2 to 4, and finally on a group of children ages 6 months to 2 years. The scientists administered 10, 20, and 30-milligram doses to observe which is most effective for each age group.
Once the best dosage was determined, Pfizer began testing their vaccine on 4,500 children from the age of six months to 15 years. Two-thirds of the participants were given two shots of the COVID-19 vaccine and the remaining third were given two shots of saline, a placebo. These two injections were each administered three weeks apart. A week after the second shot, researchers observed the children’s immune response through blood draws.
Even though the vaccine performed well for younger age groups in these clinical trials, many parents of young children continue to be skeptical of the safety of the vaccine due to the fact that vaccines usually have stronger side effects on young children compared to adults. However, many disease specialists believe that the vaccines are safe. Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, who represents the American Academy of Pediatrics on the Federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, states that since we've already been monitoring tens of millions of people who have already received the vaccine, “There’s a higher degree of confidence now in giving this vaccine to kids.”
Immunizing younger children will help the United States reach herd immunity and ultimately put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully, the vaccines will be available before Thanksgiving so we can celebrate without fearing that our younger family members will either spread or contract the virus.
Sources Cited
Mandavilli, Apoorva. “Pfizer Begins Testing Its Vaccine in Young Children.” The New York Times,The New York Times, 25 Mar. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/25/health/coronavirus-children-vaccinations-pfizer.html.
Nania, Rachel. “Will Kids Get a COVID-19 Vaccine before the Holidays?” AARP, 1 Oct. 2021, https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/covid-vaccines-for-kids.html.