Times-Herald

Pfizer: Covid vaccine works in children

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Pfizer said Monday its Covid19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorizat­ion for this age group soon — a key step toward beginning vaccinatio­ns for youngsters.

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

For elementary school-aged kids, Pfizer tested a much lower dose — a third of the amount that's in each shot given now. Yet after their second dose, children ages 5 to 11 developed coronaviru­s-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults getting the regular-strength shots, Dr. Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president, told The Associated Press.

The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects — such as sore arms, fever or achiness — that teens experience, he said.

"I think we really hit the sweet spot," said Gruber, who's also a pediatrici­an.

Gruber said the companies aim to apply to the Food and Drug Administra­tion by the end of the month for emergency use in this age group, followed shortly afterward with applicatio­ns to European and British regulators.

Earlier this month, FDA chief Dr. Peter Marks told the AP that once Pfizer turns over its study results, his agency would evaluate the data "hopefully in a matter of weeks" to decide if the shots are safe and effective enough for younger kids.

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