Pfizer’s Covid Vaccine Effective In Preventing Kids From Catching Omicron, Study Finds
Topline
Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine lowered danger of an infection by the omicron variant 31% amongst youngsters 5-11 and 59% amongst youngsters 12-15, in response to a examine of 1,364 youngsters revealed Friday by the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
An Israeli well being employee administers a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine to a … [+]
MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP through Getty Pictures
Key Information
Absolutely vaccinated youngsters age 5-15 who developed symptomatic omicron infections spent a mean of 1.4 days sick in mattress, in comparison with 1.9 days sick in mattress amongst unvaccinated youngsters, the examine discovered.
Although Pfizer’s vaccine has been authorized to be used amongst youngsters 5 and up since 2021, its effectiveness at stopping omicron an infection has been troublesome to estimate as a result of contaminated youngsters usually present solely gentle signs, mentioned Abt Associates well being researcher Dr. Lauren Olsho, principal investigator for the examine.
Amongst unvaccinated youngsters who examined constructive for Covid, 66% of these with delta variant infections reported signs, in comparison with 49% of these with omicron infections.
Working from July 25-February 12, the examine monitored 1,052 youngsters 5-11 and 312 youngsters 12-15 who had been examined weekly for Covid no matter signs, and was a part of the bigger Pediatric Analysis Observing Tendencies and Exposures in COVID-19 Timelines (PROTECT) examine monitoring children aged 6 months to 17 years in Arizona, Florida, Texas and Utah.
Whereas the examine revealed Friday monitored each symptomatic and asymptomatic sufferers, earlier analysis has relied primarily on knowledge from symptomatic Covid sufferers who sought medical care, offering an incomplete image, particularly as at-home Covid testing turns into extra in style, researchers mentioned.
Pfizer’s headquarters in New York Metropolis, as seen on January 26, 2009.
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Key Background
The examine revealed Friday supplemented earlier findings that Pfizer’s vaccine is efficient at stopping delta variant an infection amongst youngsters age 12 and over, researchers mentioned. The broader PROTECT examine is without doubt one of the largest research together with weekly Covid testing no matter signs, and gives an in depth image of how vaccination standing, socio-demographic traits, masks use, location and different variables have an effect on an infection danger, the CDC mentioned. Although youngsters usually expertise milder omicron signs than adults, youngsters had been 4 instances extra prone to be hospitalized resulting from Covid through the omicron surge than when delta was the dominant variant, in response to a February 15 report by the CDC. The best spike in omicron-associated pediatric hospitalizations was noticed amongst youngsters age 5 and underneath, who will not be but eligible for vaccination, the CDC mentioned. The outcomes of the examine revealed Friday reinforce the significance of holding youngsters up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccinations, researchers mentioned.
Contra
Vaccinated youngsters who caught omicron missed a mean of 26.2 hours of college, in comparison with 18.8 hours amongst unvaccinated youngsters, the examine revealed Friday discovered. Vaccination additionally didn’t considerably cut back medical care-seeking—15.5% of vaccinated individuals who caught omicron sought care, in comparison with 16.4% of unvaccinated individuals.
Additional Studying
“Youngsters Had been Almost 4 Occasions As Doubtless To Be Hospitalized With Covid-19 Throughout Omicron Wave In contrast To Delta” (Forbes)
