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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