✓ Covid vaccine for children 5-11 years: effective Pfizer-BioNTech

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Covid vaccine for children 5-11 years: effective Pfizer-BioNTech

There is something new in the world of vaccines against the Covid-19 virus: after the ok for administration to children between 12 and 15 years, even the smaller they may soon have effective hedging against the contagion. Let's clarify the Covid vaccine for children 5-11 years old.

What is the Covid vaccine for?

Il Covid vaccine it is the only weapon we have, to date, to combat the spread of the infection. Like many other vaccines, it is meant to limit positive cases: if it is true that you are not 100% immune, it is also now proven that getting vaccinated helps considerably not to contract the virus and, even in the event of contagion, not to spread it. Furthermore, it has been amply demonstrated that i vaccinated they are 95% less likely to end up in intensive therapy if positive for Covid and, consequently, to die. For this reason it is important to get vaccinated also in order not to burden the health system and to protect those who, on the other hand, have a more fragile immune system, such as the elderly and the sick.

Also read: Covid-19 in children: it is less lethal and causes milder symptoms

How the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine works

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) andDel Paesena Medicines Agency (AIFA) after passing all stages of verification about effectiveness and safety. In Del Paese it has been administered since the end of 2022, initially to the population over 16 years of age, also from the beginning of the summer to the 12-15 year old range. The COVID-19 vaccine a m contains molecules of Messenger RNA (precisely mRNA) which contain the indications to build the protein Spike of the Covid-19 virus. Once injected, the mRNA is absorbed by the cytoplasm and synthesis of the Spike protein begins. This is how antibodies develop and, to clarify, in no way does the vaccine inject the virus and therefore cannot even cause it.

Another important information: once its mission (to produce the Spike protein) has been completed, the mRNA vaccine degrades e disappears from the body a few days after being injected. No.It does not modify DNA in any way.

Read also: Yes to the anti-covid vaccine in pregnancy

Is the Covid vaccine for children safe?

The great news is that Pfizer and BioNTech they announced that their Vaccine (a mRNA, we remind you) is also effective among children between 5 and 11 years, thus extending the possibility of getting vaccinated even to the smallest ones. How do they know? They conducted clinical tests on about 4.500 children: according to the pharmaceuticals, the children have shown that they tolerate the vaccine well in phases 2 and 3, producing a immune response "sustained" and not lower than that recorded in the vaccinated with greater age, from 12 years upwards.

Children between 5 and 11 years old who took part in the trial were given one three times lower dose to that expected for the rest of the population, that is 10 micrograms instead of 30. According to Pfizer and BioNTech, the vaccine is considered sure even for the little ones.

During the same clinical trials the vaccine was also administered to very small, that is to the children between 6 months and 5 years, but the research results have not yet been released.

Read also: Covid vaccine and children: what we know

When will the Covid vaccine be available for children?

In the next weeks Pfizer-BioNTech will ask the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) e all'EMA to extend the Permissions to be able to administer the mRNA vaccine even to children between 5 and 11 years old. We will therefore have to wait a little longer to find out if vaccination will actually be made available also for children, which would also significantly lighten the impact of infections on the functioning of schools and extra-curricular activities.

After the approval of the drug agencies to the administration of the mRNA vaccine in children between 12 and 15 years, it could also arrive that for the age range 5-11 years, considered safe after clinical trials. We just have to wait.

SOURCES

Pfizer and BioNTech announce positive topline results from pivotal trial of COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 to 11 years

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