By Tony O’Riley-
A U.S trial claims the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is “safe, well tolerated”, and produces a “robust” antibody immune response in children aged five to 11, according to the findings of a US trial.
The researchers plan to submit the results to regulators to seek approval for vaccinating children younger than 12, the current age limit, but have not said whether parental consent will be required in each case.
The findings, circulated in a press release, are the first of their kind for children under 12, but does not provide sufficient information about the number of children examined in the research, and the reactions experienced . It also does not state over what period of time the experiment was conducted on the children.
The hope is that the circulated research will provide assurance to parents worried about the safety of vaccination for their children, but it asks more questions than it gives answers. A trial of the Moderna vaccine in six to 11-year-olds is ongoing and to be announced soon. Keeping children safe from catching or spreading the virus has been high in both the U.K and the U.S, but adverse reactions and a small fraction of deaths that have taken place in adults due to the vaccine has caused some concerm for pessimistic parents.
About a dozen countries are already in the process of rolling out the vaccine, including the UK, which has just started its rollout of jabs to healthy teenagers, with a heavy debate associated with the issue of parental consent.
The young children in the Pfizer trial were given 10 microgram doses, rather than the 30 micrograms recommended for over 12s. Antibody responses and side effects were said to be comparable, but not enough detail has bene provided to assure worried parents about the level of safety offered by the vaccine. The under fives in the study are being given even smaller doses.
“We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, noting that “since July, paediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the US”
Dr Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, said: “The safety profile and immunogenicity data in children aged five to 11 years vaccinated at a lower dose are consistent with those we have observed with our vaccine in other older populations at a higher dose.
“We are pleased to be able to submit data to regulatory authorities for this group of school-aged children before the start of the winter season.”
Although Covid is rarely severe in children, they can still catch and spread it and some will get very sick.
The UK has this week begun offering one dose of the Pfizer vaccine to children in secondary schools.
Although this won’t stop the virus circulating, it could help keep more pupils in class, say experts.
Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said: “We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children.”
He added: “These trial results provide a strong foundation for seeking authorization of our vaccine for children five to 11 years old, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulators with urgency.”
The idea of vaccinating children in primary schools has been very divisive in the Uk, sparking protests in some parts of the country.
Some parents are particularly angry that school children may be able to override the usual requirement of parental consent in cases where the child opts for the vaccine, and parents refuse.
Under current guidelines, where there is a conflict between parent and child, a professional will seek to mediate between the two, but in the end allow the child’s choice, if he is deemed competent to enough to make the decision.
This state of affair is considered unacceptable, but some parents say the safety of children should be most paramount, not the fear of parents.
”if there is tight evidence that children are safe tking this vaccine, and is prevents them from spreading the virus, then that should be safe, Amanda Reed from Epping a mother of a 13 year old boy told The Eye Of Media.Com. I’ll be permiting my child to take the vaccine once he gets the offer, because we can’t afford to take any further risks with this virus”.
Another parent, Jason Stanley said: ”I think it will be the most ridiculous system where children are allowed to take the vaccine in the face of objection from their parent who cares and loves them. Even if the vaccine were safe for them, undermining parental authority will be a huge leap for the government in this day and age. The U.S trial in question doesn’t tell us enough information to come to any conclusion.”.