Pfizer Vaccine Only 12% Effective in Kids 5 to 11, Study Says

A study released Monday showed the effectiveness of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine in 5- to 11-year-olds was only 12% after a seven-week period of observation. According to The New York Times, federal health officials knew about the findings since early February.

The effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine against Omicron “declined rapidly for children, particularly those 5-11 years,” according to astudyreleased February 28.

The authors of the study still recommended the vaccine for that age group, stating it was protective against severe disease. They also proposed the recommended dose for 5- to 11-year-olds was too small, suggesting a higher dose might solve the problem.

According to The New York Times, the study’s lead author, Dr. Eli Rosenberg, briefed Dr. Rochelle Walensky and other officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the New York data in early February.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials…