Jakarta (ANTARA) – The low-dose Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine given to children aged 5-11 years was found to be less effective at protecting this age group from infection amid the outbreak of the Omicron variant.
According to a recent study by researchers at the New York State Department of Health, the lowest dose of Pfizer vaccine given to children aged 5-11 years, its effectiveness fell from 68 percent to 12 percent.
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The children received injections containing just 10 milligrams, a third of the dose given to older children, teens, and adults, the study said.
In all cases, vaccines have been shown to provide strong protection against serious illnesses. The preprint study looked at data collected from over 1.2 million fully vaccinated children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 17 from December 13, 2021 to January 30, 2022.
Meanwhile, the effectiveness of Pfizer’s vaccine in children ages 12 to 17, who received the same 30 milligram dose as adults, showed a smaller decline, dropping from 66 percent to 51 percent.
“These results highlight the potential need to study alternative vaccine doses for children and the importance of multiple layers of protection, including the wearing of masks, to prevent infection and transmission,” the study said.
The study results come just days after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed guidelines for the use of masks in many parts of the US, including New York City.
It also follows an unexpected delay in the emergency use authorization process for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 6 months to 4 years.
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Reporter: Suryanto
Editor: Alviansyah Pasaribu
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