US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced on Thursday that its joint vaccine with German company BioNTech SE will begin studies in children under 12 years of age. The vaccine is currently licensed by US regulators for ages 16 and up.
“Together with our partner BioNTech, we announced a global study to further evaluate the COVID-19 vaccine in healthy children aged 6 months to 11 years,” said Albert Bourla, CEO and President of Pfizer, in a tweet . We are proud to begin this much-needed study for children and families awaiting a possible vaccination option.
Pfizer is the latest company to test its vaccine on young children, after Moderna announced studies in the same age group earlier this month. Johnson & Johnson also intends to test its vaccine on children and infants.
The BioNTech-Pfizer two-shot vaccine will first be tested at doses of 10, 20 and 30 micrograms in a phase I / II study with 144 participants. Pfizer spokeswoman Sharon Castillo said volunteers in the trial received the first photos on Wednesday.
The company will later advance with a process of 4,500 participants in the late stage. Efficacy data are expected in the second half of 2021.
When could the children’s vaccine be given?
Pfizer hopes the vaccine can be given to young children by early 2022. To date, no coronavirus vaccine has been approved for children under the age of 16 in the United States, with only the BioNTech-Pfizer shot being given at 16 and 17. ani- old.
The BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine is currently being tested in children between the ages of 12 and 15, both in the US and in Europe, with data from this study anticipated in the coming weeks.
Why should children be vaccinated for COVID-19?
Although children do not usually have severe symptoms of coronavirus, experts believe they should be vaccinated to get the immunity of the herd. In the United States, for example, people under the age of 18 make up about one-fifth of the US population of 330 million.
“If we really want to reach the herd’s immunity, it will take up to 80% of our population to be vaccinated, and we really can’t do that without vaccinating children,” said the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (PAA). Lee Savio. Beers told AFP news agency earlier this month.
wd / sms (Reuters, AFP)