Photo: Getty Images
Pfizer announced Monday (September 20) that its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children as young as five years old.
The pharmaceutical manufacturer along with its German partner, BioNTech, said their shot produced "robust" antibody response in children between 5 and 11 years old –– an age group not currently eligible to receive the vaccine.
According to reports, the companies collected data from a trial that included over 2,000 kids and that the shots were "safe, well-tolerated, and showed neutralizing antibody responses."
A press release from the companies indicate that the children in the trial received two smaller doses of the vaccine than the doses given to people age 12 and up. Side effects seen in the trial participants were comparable to the those seen in fully vaccinated people aged 16 to 25.
The companies are set to submit their findings to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use authorization and are currently testing the vaccine on kids younger than five in the hopes of having data by the end of the year.
News of the Pfizer's findings comes as the US sees record new cases and hospitalizations among children. Since the pandemic started, 5.3 million children –– or 15% of all cases –– have tested positive for COVID-19. The week of September 9 saw the highest surge in new cases among children with a whopping 243,000 reported new cases among kids.
Nearly 12.7 million children under 18 have received at least one dose of any of the available COVID-19 vaccines. That's about 54% of 12- to 17-year-olds, according to an analysis of CDC data by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Overall, the US has distributed 466.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are also currently researching the safety and effectiveness of their vaccines in pediatric trials.
To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, please click here.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.