Pfizer says its 3-dose COVID-19 vaccine has shown a strong immune response in children under 5

The tridose of Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to less than 5 years elicit a strong immune responsethe companies announced on Monday.

IN vaccine for younger children has an efficiency of just over 80%, according to preliminary analysis. The results are based on clinical trials in which children received doses of 3 micrograms – one tenth of the adult dose – of the COVID-19 vaccine. After the third dose, the companies said the vaccine elicited a strong immune response with only mild to moderate side effects.

“The study suggests that a low dose of 3 µg of our vaccine, carefully selected based on tolerability data, provides young children with a high level of protection against the latest strains of COVID-19,” said Dr Ugur Shahin, CEO. and co-founder of BioNTech, in a statement. “We are preparing the relevant documents and expect to complete the process of submitting to the FDA this week, and the documents submitted to the EMA and other regulatory agencies will follow in the coming weeks.”

While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week signed a booster vaccine against COVID-19 for children aged 5 to 11 yearsparents are waiting for a vaccine to get permission for this younger age group.

Pfizer originally submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration in February for authorization for the emergency use of its vaccine for infants, young children and children under 5 years of age, but postponed the official application and an authorization process to await additional data for a third dose. Moderna and Pfizer have asked the FDA to authorize low-dose vaccines for the youngest age group, and the agency has a preliminary schedule in June to review vaccine data from both companies.

Last week, the United States stepped on the grim cornerstone of 1 million deaths from COVID-19, and cases and hospitalizations are increasing across the country. New, more contagious versions of the omicron variant are responsible. Although the numbers are lower than last winter’s jump, the rise threatens to ease some security measures, such as dropping mask mandates.

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