A study found that Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine was significantly less effective in preventing infections in children aged 5 to 11. The New York Times reported that New York State health officials analyzed data from children aged 5 to 11 who received the Pfizer vaccine and found that they were significantly less effective at preventing infection than adolescents and adults.

As time passes after receiving the vaccine, the effectiveness of the original vaccine decreases. In general, Pfizer vaccines gradually lose their effectiveness several months after vaccination, but in the 5-11 year old age group, the effectiveness drops sharply shortly after vaccination.

According to the New York Times, the researchers found that more than 850,000 children aged 12 to 17 years of age who received both the first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine between December 13, last year, when the spread of Omicron mutation peaked, and January 24, this year, and those aged 5 to We analyzed the data of 360,000 people aged 11 years. During this period, the effectiveness of preventing infection between the ages of 12 and 17 decreased from 66% to 51%, but for those aged 5 to 11, it fell significantly from 68% to 12%.

The change in infection prevention rates between the two age groups is very large. The researchers paid particular attention to the stark difference between 11 and 12 years old, which is the age boundary. The analysis analyzed that the difference in the dose of the vaccine may have had an effect on the sudden drop in the efficacy of the vaccine. This is because children between the ages of 5 and 11 have been approved by health authorities to receive a dose of 10 μg, which is one-third of the 30 μg (microgram) dose of an adult. New York State Department of Health’s Dr Eli Rosenberg, who led the study, said the findings underscore the need to collect more data on the dose, frequency, and timing of the vaccine in children.

As for the effectiveness of severe prevention, the effectiveness of prevention of hospitalization dropped from 85% to 73% in the case of 12 to 17-year-olds during the study period. The effectiveness of preventing hospitalization for children aged 5-11 years fell from 100% to 48%. The researchers emphasized that the vaccine was effective in reducing the severity of the risk even between the ages of 5 and 11.

There is nothing other than vaccines that can prevent corona infection. It is wearing a mask, but more and more places are taking it off after the health authorities issued guidelines to ease the wearing of masks. The White House notified agencies on February 28 that it could end the mask-wearing requirement for federal government employees and visitors to federal buildings. As Reuters reported, the White House said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s new criteria would classify a federal government facility in Washington, D.C. as a “medium” or “low” risk area for coronavirus, so only those who have been vaccinated will be affected. He announced that he would end the compulsory mask.

Schools have decided to take off many masks now. The western states of California, Oregon, and Washington have announced that they will abolish the mandatory school mask on March 12 at 00:00. However, it is still a policy to wear a mask in places where there is a high risk of infection, such as hospitals and public transportation facilities.

Author: MI Asian Staff