The New York State Department of Health released a study Monday showing Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy for children aged five to 11 plummeted to 12% during the Omicron surge.
“In the Omicron era, the effectiveness against cases of BNT162b2 declined rapidly for children, particularly those 5-11 years,” the study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, found. “However, the vaccination of children 5-11 was protective against severe disease and is recommended.”
The study said “lower vaccine dose may explain” the lower efficacy. Children aged five to 11 received two 10-microgram shots compared to children aged 12 to 17 who received 30-microgram shots.
The data found Pfizer’s vaccine went from being 68% effective to 12% for kids aged five to 11 between Dec. 13 and Jan. 24. Protection for preventing hospitalization dropped to 48% from 100%, according to the data. The data found vaccine efficacy “declined rapidly” for kids aged five to 11 “with low protection by one month following full-vaccination.”
A soldier prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19, at a vaccination center at the Central market in Guatemala City on February 2, 2022. (Photo by Johan ORDONEZ / AFP) (Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Vaccine efficacy for children between the ages of 12 to 17 dropped to 51% from 66% from December through the end of January, according to the study. (RELATED: Top WHO Doctor Says Healthy Kids, Teens Shouldn’t Get Boosted Against COVID-19, Contradicting CDC)
The study recommended other measures be taken to prevent infection and sickness given the vaccine efficacy.
“Given rapid loss of protection against infections, these results highlight the continued importance of layered protections, including mask wearing, for children to prevent infection and transmission.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in February it was postponing a meeting of vaccine experts to consider authorizing Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids under five. Pfizer alerted the FDA that “new data recently emerged,” which would give the agency more time to review the trial results on a three-dose vaccine series for children aged six months through four years. Initial test results found a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine did not generate a strong response in kids aged two to four.