According to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicines on May 27 found that Pfizer vaccines administered 21 days apart to children from the age group of 12 to 15 years was safe and immunogenic and resulted in an observed vaccine efficacy of 100 percent against coronavirus from 7 days after the second dose.
Around 2260 children aged between 12 to 15 years were analyzed for the study, of which 1,131 were given the vaccine (BNT162b2) and 1,129 were given a placebo. This study was conducted in the US which has already the vaccination for children above the age group of 12 in the month of May after the Pfizer vaccine for this age group was approved by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other countries that have approved the Pfizer vaccine for adolescents above the age of 12 include Chile, Canada, Japan, and Italy. Dubai and the Philippines have approved the vaccine for emergency use.
The study
The study found that among the 2260 participants, 51 percent were male, 86 percent were White and 12 percent were Hispanic or Latinx. Overall, 1,308 participants had at least two months of follow-up after their second dose of vaccination.
The vaccine’s reactogenicity (the degree to which a vaccine can produce an excessive immune response and adverse reactions) and immunogenicity (the ability to cause an immune response against a pathogen) was compared with that of another cohort, of people aged between 16 to 25 years.
Severe headache and fatigue were reported after BNT162b2 injection, in a lower percentage of 12-15-year-old participants than of 16-25-year-old participants. Headache and fatigue were the most commonly reported systemic events in both age groups. The immune response to BNT162b2 in 12–15-year-old adolescents was non-inferior compared to 16-25-year-old young adults.
The observed vaccine efficacy was 100 percent, said the study.
