Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pfizer Says Vaccine Drives 'Robust' Immune Response In Kids Ages 5 To 11
CNBC: Pfizer Covid Vaccine Safely Generates Robust Immune Response In Kids, Pfizer Says
Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine is safe and generates a “robust” immune response in a clinical trial of kids ages 5 to 11, the drugmakers announced Monday. The companies tested a two-dose regimen of 10 micrograms — about a third the dosage used for teens and adults — administered three weeks apart. The shots were well tolerated and produced an immune response and side effects comparable to those seen in a study of people ages 16 to 25, they said. (Lovelace Jr., 9/20)
The New York Times: Covid Vaccine Prompts Strong Immune Response In Younger Children, Pfizer Says
The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has been shown to be safe and highly effective in young children aged 5 to 11 years, the companies announced early Monday morning. The news should help ease months of anxiety among parents and teachers about when children, and their close contacts, might be shielded from the coronavirus. The need is urgent: Children now account for more than one in five new cases, and the highly contagious Delta variant has sent more children into hospitals and intensive care units in the past few weeks than at any other time in the pandemic. (Mandavilli, 9/20)
AP: Pfizer Says COVID-19 Vaccine Works In Kids Ages 5 To 11
For elementary school-aged kids, Pfizer tested a much lower dose -- a third of the amount that’s in each shot given now. Yet after their second dose, children ages 5 to 11 developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults, Dr. Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president, told The Associated Press. The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects -- such as sore arms, fever or achiness -- that teens experience, he said. (Neergaard, 9/20)
