• COVID-19 vaccine protects kids and teens

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Mon Apr 18 22:30:46 2022
    COVID-19 vaccine protects kids and teens from severe illness
    Study evaluated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine effectiveness during the Delta
    and Omicron periods in children 5-18 years of age

    Date:
    April 18, 2022
    Source:
    Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
    Summary:
    Results of a new multicenter study found that vaccination with a
    primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine reduced
    the risk of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in children ages
    5-11 years by two- thirds during the Omicron period.



    FULL STORY ========================================================================== Results of a new multicenter study published in the New England
    Journal of Medicine found that vaccination with a primary series
    of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine reduced the risk of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in children ages 5-11 years by
    two-thirds during the Omicron period. Among adolescents ages 12-18 years
    who were vaccinated with a primary series of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, protection against COVID-19-associated hospitalization during the
    Omicron period was lower than during the Delta period, similar to what
    has been previously shown among adults. Levels of protection against
    critical COVID-19 requiring life-supporting interventions remained high
    in vaccinated adolescents during both the Delta and the Omicron periods.


    ==========================================================================
    "Our study results are reassuring that COVID-19 vaccination in eligible children and adolescents continues to protect against the most severe
    outcomes associated with COVID-19, regardless of variant type,"
    said study co-author Bria Coates, MD, critical care physician at Ann &
    Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "It is difficult to predict whether the vaccine will be as effective against the current subvariant of Omicron, but most likely the level of protection
    would be similar. Our results reinforce the importance of COVID-19
    vaccination, including receiving a booster dose for those ages 12 years
    and older, to protect against critical illness." During the Omicron
    period (December 19, 2021-February 17, 2022), vaccination reduced the risk
    of COVID-19-associated hospitalization by 68 percent in children ages 5-11 years. Vaccine effectiveness against any type of COVID-19- associated hospitalization in adolescents ages 12-18 years who received a primary
    series declined from 92 percent during the Delta (July 1, 2021-December
    18, 2021) period to 40 percent during the Omicron period. Protection
    against COVID-19 requiring life-supporting interventions remained high
    for adolescents during Delta (96 percent) and Omicron (79 percent).

    Due to the low numbers of hospitalized children ages 5-11 years in the
    study, researchers could not analyze vaccine effectiveness by disease
    severity for this age group but will continue to monitor as these data are collected. Data in this age group was not available for the Delta period,
    since younger children were not eligible for the vaccine at that time.

    Protection against hospitalization in adolescents during the Delta
    period remained consistent for more than 6 months after receipt of a
    primary series.

    Levels of protection during Omicron, although lower, also stayed
    consistent over time after completing the primary series.

    "This consistency in vaccine effectiveness during each variant suggests
    that the decline in protection among adolescents between the Delta and
    Omicron periods might be because the Omicron variant is more likely to
    escape control by the immune system, rather than waning immunity since vaccination," said Dr.

    Coates, who also is the Crown Family Research Scholar in Developmental
    Biology.

    "However, more data are needed to answer this question." The study was
    funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    Research at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago is
    conducted through Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute. The Manne Research Institute is focused on improving child health, transforming
    pediatric medicine and ensuring healthier futures through the relentless pursuit of knowledge.

    Lurie Children's is ranked as one of the nation's top children's hospitals
    by U.S. News & World Report.It is the pediatric training ground for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.


    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Ann_&_Robert_H._Lurie_Children's_Hospital_of_Chicago.

    Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Ashley M. Price, Samantha M. Olson, Margaret M. Newhams, Natasha B.

    Halasa, Julie A. Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Pia S. Pannaraj, Katherine
    Irby, Katherine E. Bline, Aline B. Maddux, Ryan A. Nofziger,
    Melissa A.

    Cameron, Tracie C. Walker, Stephanie P. Schwartz, Elizabeth H. Mack,
    Laura Smallcomb, Jennifer E. Schuster, Charlotte V. Hobbs, Satoshi
    Kamidani, Keiko M. Tarquinio, Tamara T. Bradford, Emily R. Levy,
    Kathleen Chiotos, Samina S. Bhumbra, Natalie Z. Cvijanovich, Sabrina
    M. Heidemann, Melissa L. Cullimore, Shira J. Gertz, Bria M. Coates,
    Mary A. Staat, Matt S. Zinter, Michele Kong, Brandon M. Chatani,
    Janet R. Hume, Katri V.

    Typpo, Mia Maamari, Heidi R. Flori, Mark W. Tenforde, Laura
    D. Zambrano, Angela P. Campbell, Manish M. Patel, Adrienne
    G. Randolph. BNT162b2 Protection against the Omicron Variant in
    Children and Adolescents. New England Journal of Medicine, 2022;
    DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2202826 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220418164929.htm

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