Pfizer Vaccine’s Effectiveness in Children Aged 5-11 Diminishes Quickly Over Time

Recent findings from health officials in New York State indicate a concerning “rapid decline in protection against infection during the omicron variant surge.” Just when parents were already dealing with the news of Pfizer halting its request for FDA approval for the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 2-5, they received more unsettling information this week.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, currently the only one authorized for children aged 5-11, shows a troubling decrease in effectiveness, according to data gathered between December 13, 2021, and January 31, 2022, by researchers at the New York State Department of Health. The study involved 852,000 vaccinated adolescents aged 12-17 and 365,502 vaccinated children aged 5-11. Over this period, the vaccine’s effectiveness against infection dropped from 66% to 51% for the older group, and alarmingly from 68% to just 12% for the younger group.

Given that this data was collected during the omicron surge, the occurrence of infections among vaccinated children is not unexpected, as this variant has been particularly adept at causing breakthrough infections even in vaccinated adults. The study also highlighted a decrease in vaccine effectiveness against hospitalizations: from 85% to 73% for the 12-17 age group and from 100% to 48% for children aged 5-11. However, it’s important to note that the overall number of children hospitalized due to COVID-19 is quite low, making these hospitalization figures less reliable.

Another limitation of the study is the impact of home testing. Many children who tested positive at home may not have sought hospital care, leaving their cases out of the analysis. While these findings may not be what parents and pediatricians were hoping for, the study’s authors concluded that “vaccination of children 5-11 years was protective against severe disease and is recommended.”

Despite the disappointing nature of the results, this data could inform future vaccine dosing strategies for children. The research revealed that 11-year-olds receiving a third of the dose given to adolescents aged 12-17 had a vaccine effectiveness rate of only 11% by the week of January 24-30, while 12-year-olds who received the full dose saw a 67% effectiveness rate. The authors suggested that “if such findings are confirmed in other settings, re-evaluating the dosing schedule for children aged 5-11 seems sensible.”

Ultimately, vaccinating children remains a vital measure to protect them from severe illness and hospitalization, while also helping to slow the spread of the virus, even if the duration of protection is not as long as initially anticipated.

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In summary, while the decline in the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness in children aged 5-11 is concerning, it still provides significant protection against severe illness. Ongoing research may lead to improvements in vaccination strategies for younger populations.