Pfizer-BioNTech reports 100 percent efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents

*Pfizer and BioNTech, the two companies that developed one of the three approved COVID-19 Vaccines being used in the United States disclose they will seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration to begin vaccinating children

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As vaccinations against the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continue across the world, Pfizer and BioNTech, companies that developed one of the three approved COVID-19 Vaccines being used in the United States have reported that their vaccine showed 100 percent efficacy in adolescents aged 12 to 15.

ConsumerConnect gathered that in a Phase 3 clinical trial of 2,260 adolescents, none of the children who received the vaccine got the virus and 18 of those who received the placebo eventually became ill.

According to the two companies in a press statement, the study may have been small, but they stated that the results are highly encouraging.

Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: “We share the urgency to expand the authorisation of our vaccine to use in younger populations and are encouraged by the clinical trial data from adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15,”

Bourla said the companies would plan to submit the data to the FDA as a proposed amendment to the current EUA.

If granted, millions of children could be vaccinated well in advance of the fall school term, disclosed Pfizer’s CEO.

Ugur Sahin, CEO and Co-Founder of BioNTech, also stated: “Across the globe, we are longing for a normal life.

“This is especially true for our children. The initial results we have seen in the 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 the B.1.1.7 UK variant.”

The companies in a press release noted that the trial enrolled 2,260 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 in the United States (US) to test the efficacy of the vaccine.

They added that over 1,100 children who received the vaccine were fully protected against the virus.

“Vaccination with BNT162b2 elicited SARS-CoV-2–neutralizing antibody geometric mean titers (GMTs) of 1,239.5, demonstrating strong immunogenicity in a subset of adolescents one month after the second dose,” the statement said.

The companies as well revealed that the vaccine was well-tolerated, with side effects generally consistent with those observed in participants between the ages of 16 and 25.

Meanwhile, trials have begun to test the vaccine with infants to 11 year olds. Children in the study received the first dose over a week ago.

As with older age groups, the study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine on a two-dose schedule, approximately 21 days apart, in three age groups: children aged 5 to 11 years, 2 to 5 years, and 6 months to 2 years.

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