16-year-old Melanie is one of those vaccinated in Pfizer's vaccine trial with U.S. teens Cincinnati Children's
Thousands of children are already testing the coronavirus vaccine
Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine seems very effective in teens.
In a trial still under way with young people between 12 and 15 years of age, the inoculation of the American pharmaceutical company and the German BioNTech is achieving 100% efficacy.
Although the trial has yet to be reviewed and it has only been a month since the second dose, the vaccinated boys show a high generation of neutralizing antibodies to the virus.
Furthermore, they have had hardly any adverse reactions beyond swelling and redness and none different from those already seen in adult trials.
Like Moderna, Janssen or AstraZeneca (also with trials in children), Pfizer dreams of having it ready for the start of the next school year.
Why are children less contagious, less infected and less affected by covid?
Pfizer was the first to test its vaccine in children under 18 years of age.
During last year's adult trials, they included about 200 young people between the ages of 16 and 18.
At the time, none of them were infected, but the number was small, especially considering that young people seem to be infected less.
However, the US pharmaceutical company began a much larger study in mid-January, this time with 2,260 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15.
Half were given their BNT162b2 vaccine and the rest a saline solution.
After the double dose regimen spaced out in 21 days, they have waited a month to see how the immune system of the kids responded.
The results are really good.
Although the companies have not provided details, the joint Pfizer and BioNTech press release offers a stunning result: of the 1,129 given the placebo, 18 were infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the 30 days after the puncture. .
Meanwhile, of the 1,131 who did receive the vaccine, 0 were infected.
It should be borne in mind that, according to those responsible for other trials, a month is a short time, but the figures, being provisional, are good.
Of the 1,129 given the placebo, 18 became infected in the month after the puncture.
Meanwhile, of the 1,131 who did receive the vaccine, 0 were infected.
Ugur Sahin, BioNTech CEO, wrote in the press release: “All over the world, we long for a normal life.
And it is especially true for our children.
The initial results that we have seen in adolescent studies suggest that children are particularly well protected by vaccination, which is very encouraging given the trends we have seen in recent weeks regarding the spread of variant B.1.1. 7 in the UK ”.
The co-founder of the German biotech company later added that it is essential "to allow them to return to daily school life and meet friends and family while being protected and protecting their loved ones."
The second big news included in the note of the two companies is the high generation of neutralizing antibodies, which specifically bind to the spike of the virus, preventing it from attacking human cells.
They have observed that the vaccine activates the immune system of adolescents aged 12-15 years much more than those of their older 16-18.
Dr. Alberto Borobia, coordinator of the clinical trials unit at the La Paz hospital in Madrid, comments that "they are also very good data, they generate very high levels of neutralizing antibodies."
But remember that immunogenicity and efficacy tend to decline over time.
So "long-term follow-up" is needed, he adds.
At the pediatric hospital in Cincinnati (USA) they vaccinated 300 of these adolescents and are now recruiting as many as 11 years or younger.
On the need to vaccinate minors, the director of the Gamble Center for Vaccine Research at this hospital, Robert Frenck, comments: “There are two reasons.
One is the direct effect.
Although the virus is unlikely to degenerate into severe disease in children, the risk is not zero.
Around 300 children have died from covid in the US ".
Another 12,000 have been hospitalized and three million fell ill.
"The problem is that we cannot predict which child will develop a severe infection, so we need to immunize them," he adds.
"Around 300 children have died from covid in the US Another 12,000 have been hospitalized and three million fell ill.
The problem is that we cannot predict which child will develop a severe infection, so we need to immunize them "
Robert Frenck, Director of the Gamble Center for Vaccine Research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital
As for the indirect effect, Frenck recalls that "if the little one is not contagious, he will not be able to infect anyone else."
And it brings to mind the case of the flu: in which "if you immunize children, we achieve a relevant impact in reducing the disease in the elderly."
For the American doctor, "if we vaccinate children against covid, there will be less chance of infecting more vulnerable people, such as their grandparents or teachers."
The safe return to schools is one of the keys to the rush that all the pharmaceutical companies that already have vaccines for adults and test versions for children are taking.
In a note, Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla says: “We plan to send this data to the FDA [the US drug agency] as a proposed amendment to our emergency use authorization in the coming weeks and to other regulators. from around the world, hoping to begin vaccinating this age group before the start of the next school year. "
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