Pfizer said its coronavirus vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children ages 12 to 15.
In participants aged 12-15 years old with or without prior evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 demonstrated 100% efficacy and robust antibody responses. The results exceeded those reported in trial of vaccinated 16-25 year old participants in an earlier analysis, and was well tolerated, according to Pfizer. The trial enrolled 2,260 participants in the United States.
Topline data from 2,260 adolescents demonstrated high antibody responses and 100% efficacy against #COVID19, and that the vaccine was well-tolerated. https://t.co/UsTd4d0mtg pic.twitter.com/hodMDoNBeX
— Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) March 31, 2021
There were 18 confirmed COVID-19 infections observed in the placebo group and no confirmed infections in the group that received the vaccine, the company said. That resulted in a vaccine efficacy of 100%. The vaccine was also well-tolerated, with side effects generally consistent with those seen in adults.
Vaccinating children is crucial to ending the pandemic, public health officials and infectious disease experts say. Children make up around 20% of the U.S. population, according to government data. Between 70% and 85% of the U.S. population needs to be vaccinated against Covid to achieve herd immunity, experts say, and some adults may refuse to get the shots.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the company plans to submit the new vaccine data to the Food and Drug Administration and other regulators “as soon as possible,” with the hope that kids in the age group will be able to get vaccinated before the next school year.
All participants in the trial will continue to be monitored for long-term protection and safety for an additional two years after their second dose.
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