A third shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine proved it could help fight off the omicron variant for children 5 to 11 years old, Pfizer and BioNTech said.
Driving the news: Pfizer and BioNTech released new data from a small study of 140 children (who were all 5 to 11 years old) who took the third COVID-19 vaccine shot.
- The booster shot was a 10-microgram dose of the vaccine.
- It was given at least six months after the second dose.
What they found: Researchers said that antibodies fighting the omicron variant were 36 times higher than after the second dose, per CNN.
These findings were true about one month after the children took the third shot.
Risks: Per CNN, “there were no safety issues associated with a booster dose of the vaccine in these small groups of children.”
The bigger picture: Scientists across the world have suggested the coronavirus vaccine should be a three-dose regimen, per The Washington Post.
- However, not all families have been quick to embrace it.
- “Uptake of the first shots has been slow, even though the vaccine became available to school-aged children right before the disruptive omicron surge,” according to The Washington Post.