Pfizer: Booster raises omicron antibodies for children 5-11
A booster dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine raised the level of antibodies in children aged five through 11, including a massive increase in antibodies that fight against the Omicron variant, the company announced Thursday.
In addition to a significant increase in protection against the now-dominant Omicron variant, the booster — administered six months after a two-dose primary vaccine — also increases protection against the original strain, the drugmaker said.
The ongoing clinical trial has shown a 36-fold increase in protection from Omicron over an un-boosted, two-dose vaccination.
The 10 microgram booster dose was tested in 140 healthy children aged 5 through 11 years.
The company said in a statement that it would be submitting its data to the US Food and Drug Administration within days.
Children between the ages of five and 11 have been eligible for the Pfizer shot since November of last year, meaning the first round of vaccinated children could potentially receive a booster as early as May, if authorized.
The data comes after an independent February study, conducted at the height of the New Year’s Omicron peak, showed a significant drop in protection among children who received a two-dose course.
Covid-19 infection rates among New York City’s unvaccinated residents have shown a slight uptick in recent weeks, according to health department data.
