AUGUSTA, Ga. – One hundred percent effective. That’s the headline from Pfizer today from its newest trial in kids.
In the study carried out 2,260 U.S. kids ages 12 to 15 participated in the study.
There were zero cases of COVID-19 in the kids who were fully vaccinated, zero. The placebo group reported 18 cases of coronavirus.
Researchers also found kids in that age range had high levels of virus-fighting antibodies, reportedly found to be even higher than those recorded in young adults. Kids reported some similar side effects. Pain, fever, chills, and fatigue, primarily after the second dose.
The study is considered small so it’s yet to be published. Researchers say they’ll monitor the group for another two years to determine long-term protection and safety.
Children only represent 13 percent of COVID-19 cases in America. While they typically don’t see severe COVID disease, 268 American kids have died from COVID-19 and 10 of those cases were in Georgia. We know of at least one local teen with a disability who died.
There have been more hospitalized across the county, 13,500 according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is more than the annual flu. In Georgia, there have been 1,173 children under the age of 17 that have been hospitalized.
Obviously, parents who want to vaccinate their kids will find the study to be good news.
Pfizer plans to ask the FDA for emergency use of the shots for those 12 and up in the next few weeks. If approved that group could get shots by the time they head back to school this fall. Pfizer vaccines are already approved for kids 16 and up.
Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are also currently running trials on younger children as we speak.
