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A new American study suggests a drop in the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine on the risk of contamination in children aged 5 to 11 during the Omicron wave.
Since December 22, 2021, the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 is authorized. After a study by the HAS and the Council for Vaccine Orientation (COSV), it is the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, in its formula validated for children (three times less dosed than the version for adults), which is the only serum to have obtained the authorization, for the moment. Despite approvals, the vaccination of young children has sparked controversy and concern for parents, since, for a very long time, the discourse of leaders and scientists was to reassure that children were at little risk. .
A drop in efficiency on contamination to 12%
As for adult vaccination, even if its authorization is validated, studies continue to monitor the effectiveness when it is on the market in order to obtain the greatest number of data. A new study has just published a new report on the Pfizer vaccine in children and adolescents during the Omicron wave and their results show a collapse in its effectiveness down to only 12%.
A difference in efficiency between 11 and 12 year olds?
To find this figure, researchers from the New York State Department of Health analyzed the immune protection of 365,502 children aged 5 to 11 and in 852,384 adolescents aged 12 to 17 December 2021 and January 2022. , the expansion of the Omicron wave.
Results:
- In children aged 5 to 11, the effectiveness against contamination fell from 68% to 12%; and efficacy against severe forms from 100% to 48%;
- In adolescents aged 11 to 17, the effectiveness against contamination increased from 66 to 51%; and the effectiveness against severe forms increased from 85% to 73%
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The lower dose of the vaccine for the children in question?
What is most surprising are the results obtained by segmenting the age of the children, since among 11-year-old children the protection obtained on average was 11% compared with 67% for 12-year-olds.
According to the group of scientists, the fact that the vaccine is less dosed than the adult version could be a clue explaining this drop in the effectiveness of the serum on the risk of contamination.
“Our results show that the Omicron variant drastically reduced the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine, reducing the risk of contamination of the vaccine in children aged 5 to 11, but it nevertheless remains effective and recommended against severe forms of the virus”conclude the researchers whose study is still austa pre-publication and must be reviewed and validated by the authorities and the medical community.