Pfizer said Friday it was changing plans and testing three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in babies and preschoolers instead of the usual two.
The addition of an extra dose came after a preliminary analysis found 2- to 4-year-olds didn’t have as strong an immune response as expected to special low-dose shots.
Youngsters under age 2 had similar antibody levels, but the immune response in 2- to 4-year-olds was lower, Pfizer vaccine research chief Kathrin Jansen said Friday in a call with investors.
So the study is being expanded to evaluate three of those very low-dose shots in children under 5. That third shot will come at least two months after the youngsters’ second dose.
No safety concerns have been spotted in the study, the companies said.
Pfizer tests extra COVID shot for kids under 5 in setback | AP News
Pfizer said Friday it was changing plans and testing three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in babies and preschoolers after the usual two shots didn’t appear strong enough for some of the children.
Pfizer announced the change after a preliminary analysis found 2- to 4-year-olds didn’t have as strong an immune response as expected to the very low-dose shots the company is testing in the youngest children.
It’s disappointing news for families anxious to vaccinate their tots. Pfizer had expected data on how well the vaccines were working in children under 5 by year’s end, and it’s not clear how long the change will delay a final answer.
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said if the three-dose study is successful, they plan to apply for emergency authorization sometime in the first half of 2022.
More @ Source: Pfizer tests extra COVID shot for kids under 5 in setback | AP News
