Covid-19 Vaccination For Kids Below 5 Years Of Old

The delta variant of Covid-19 had severely affected the adult population of the globe till November 2019 and later, the Omicron variant has adversely increased the hospitalization among children.  

Covid-19 Vaccination For Kids Below 5 Years Of Old

According to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics, around 23% of Covid-19 cases were related to children. It has been noted that the virus is less effective in children than in adults, but still few cases of death and hospitalization with severity were reported among children. 

The double dosage of vaccine accompanied with booster doses has helped the adults to combat the infection, while it is a challenging effort among children who are in the growing stage. While children aged 5-11 years were administered a lower dose of Covid-19 vaccine compared to doses given to adults from Pfizer-BioNTech during Dec 2019.

No adverse effect was reported related to vaccination. During the same time, a double dose of the vaccine was prepared for the kids aged 6 months to 2 years which failed to build enough immune systems in the kids.

The extra low doses of the vaccine were much more substantial, but it failed to boost the immunity and protect the kids. The failure of the 2 dose version prompted the company to try with the 3 dose version for a better result in kids below the age of 5 years.

The Food & Drug Administration has asked Pfizer and BioNTech to submit the data for authorization of the Covid-19 vaccine. 

Simultaneously, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will also review the vaccine with its experts to discuss the benefits and risks before concluding whether the dose will be effective for all kids aged below 5 years or only for kids prone to get infected with Covid-19.

Based on the panel decision, the CDC will authorize making small doses of vaccines available at pediatrician’s offices or clinics.

Moreover, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is waiting to authorize the third dose of 3 dose-vaccine series once the first two doses of the series are approved by the Food & Drug Administration.

However, the companies have requested the emergency authorization of two-dose versions of the vaccine in response to public health demand. The three-dose regime of the vaccine will continue to be tested and revalidated until it gets cleared by both The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food & Drug Administration.

The extra-low doses for children aged 5-11 years will be specially bottled in different colors to facilitate the dosage providers not to mix with the other double doses used earlier. The doses for children aged 5 to 11 years were recommended to be administered by pharmacists, but the same is not applicable for kids aged below 5 years.

The youngest children will be administered primarily in the office of pediatricians. The vaccines for kids could be stored in the refrigerator for 10 weeks and will be easier to administer. The cap of the vials will be colored orange to avoid mixing up and the needle for administering in kids will also be smaller. 

Viewing the current pandemic situation Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla stated that their future goal with the Food & Drug Administration is to get prepared for the future variants of the virus and facilitate parents with options to protect their kids from the virus.

The need for 3 doses is also emphasized to achieve a higher level of protection among kids to fight against current infection and future variants. 

The vaccines for the kids are ready for launch by early March once it crosses the hurdles and gets authorization from the Food and Drug Administration Community who are supposed to meet on February 15.