A child getting vaccinated.Photo: Getty
Pfizer and BioNTech say a booster shot of theircoronavirus vaccinehas been shown to significantly increase the levels of Omicron-fighting antibodies in children ages 5 to 11.
The 140 children studied displayed “a robust response” to the booster shot, regardless of prior infection.
“These data reinforce the potential function of a third dose of the vaccine in maintaining high levels of protection against the virus in this age group,” the companies said in Thursday’s news release.
Now, Pfizer and BioNTech will submit the data to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “in the coming days” in a bid to get the booster approved for authorization and distribution.
A child getting a COVID-19 vaccine dose.Getty
In the study, 140 subjects between the ages of 5 and 11, with no evidence of prior COVID-19 infection, were given a third 10-microgram dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least six months after their second dose of the shot.
One month later, a subset of 30 test subjects showed that the Omicron-fighting antibodies had increased 36-fold. Pfizer and BioNTech noted that “a robust response was observed regardless of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.”
In general, antibody levels against the original COVID-19 strain were six times higher one month after a booster was administered compared to the month after a second vaccine dose to the 140 test subjects.
A child getting the COVID-19 vaccine.Getty
Pfizer and BioNTech’s new findings come five months after their first two doses of the COVID-19 vaccinereceived emergency approvalfrom the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for children ages 5 to 11 years old in November 2021.
The month prior, the companies revealed that their vaccine ismore than 90% effectivein preventing COVID-19 in children.
The new findings also come as COVID-19 cases rise again across the United States. Last week, the Washington D.C. area alone experienced a 106%increase in positive cases, while New York City’s cases were up more than 50%.
On Monday, the Philadelphia Health Department announced that the city isrestoring its indoor mask mandateafter experiencing a 50% surge in COVID-19 cases in just 10 days. The mandate takes effect next Monday, April 18.
source: people.com
