Pfizer's kid-size doses 91% effective against COVID-19: Study

Pfizer’s kid-size Covid vaccine doses are 91 per cent effective against coronavirus and have been observed to be safe.

A new study has revealed that the kid-size doses of Pfizer’s vaccine are safe for children aged between 5 and 11. This study has come at a time when the US health experts have been mulling starting vaccine campaigns for younger children of the age group 5 to 11 years.

Researchers collected data from 2,268 kids in that age group who had received two shots of this kid-sized dose at an interval of three weeks.

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These kid size doses are one-third of the amount that is injected to adults and teenagers.

While the study has come as a ray of hope, a debate on the evidence cited will be held next week in the US. The experts of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will also conduct and post an independent review of Pfizer’s effectiveness for kids.

This study has given a boost to the chances of the vaccine campaigns for kids. If the regulators give a green light to Pfizer on time, the US authorities are hoping to fully vaccinate children in line by Christmas.

As of now, the US is already administering full-strength Pfizer shots to children aged 12 and above. However, experts and parents are anxiously awaiting kid-size doses.

This will help provide safety to children, especially as schools have started reopening and children are back in classrooms with their peers.

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Parents have been worried about children getting infected by the Delta variant, which has been termed as one of the most contagious variants of the deadly coronavirus. Some schools in the country have made face masks mandatory, while others have not imposed the restriction — making this a point of debate all around the country.

Joe Biden’s administration has already purchased enough kid-size doses of Pfizer’s Covid vaccines. These shots have been packed in orange-capped vials, to make sure they are not mixed with adult shots. As soon as the regulator approves, the US will roll out its plan to start administering these doses to nearly 28 million eligible population.

Meanwhile, Moderna is also conducting a similar study. In addition to this, the two companies are also planning to study effects of doses for children as young as six months old.