Booster dose increases protection vs Omicron in kids aged 5-11: Pfizer/BioNTech

Pfizer and BioNTech on Thursday announced that a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech (22UAy.DE) developed significant protection against the Omicron variant of the virus in healthy children in the age group 5-11 years.

Drug makers also stated that the blood serum analysis of 30 pediatric recipients of a booster dose in a study showed a 36-fold increase in Omicron neutralizing antibodies as reported by the news agency Reuters. Both companies claim that neutralising antibodies against the original version of the COVID-19 virus for which the vaccine was designed rose six-fold after the booster shot.

The companies also said that they plan to apply for U.S. emergency use authorisation of a booster dose for the age group soon along with additional submissions to global regulatory agencies including the European Medicines Agency.

According to reports, the study was conducted to test the safety and immunogenicity of a 10-microgram booster dose in 140 healthy children aged 5 through 11 years. Meanwhile, adults receive a 30-microgram dose of the vaccine.

However, at present the demand for a third vaccine dose in the age group is uncertain. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 28 percent of children in the age group which is around 8 million, are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, health experts as reported by Reuters called the data “promising” but warned that the study size was very small. They also said that more data is needed to understand the extent to which this booster prevents severe illness and hospitalisation in children, and how it will perform against future variants.

“So overall, (the data) is very positive. But it also raises several questions. How durable will the response be? How well will it hold up to the future variants?,” said Dr. Anna Bershteyn of NYU Langone Health as quoted by Reuters. There are also some doubts over the need for boosters in younger children as there is a reduced risk of severe infection and hospitalization in the age group.

Dr. Scott Hadland, chief of adolescent medicine at Mass General Hospital for Children, stated that many parents of such children are demanding booster doses of the vaccine.

“We keep finding with the pandemic that when we make available vaccines and boosters, even when they don’t offer perfect protection against infection, they often are very protective against severe illness and hospitalization,” Hadland told Reuters.

Earlier this year, a third dose of the vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 and those aged 5 through 11 who are immunocompromised by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. 

(With inputs from Reuters)