Many recent reports about the Pfizer vaccine show that the efficiency against COVID-19 is not as efficient in kids between the ages of  5 through 11.

Reports from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suggest that this is because the dosage is lower in kids. However, many experts state that the vaccine is working as it is supposed to. Experts also keep encouraging parents to keep vaccinating their children. 

Researchers found that the efficiency declined from 65 percent to 12 percent while studying the case and hospitalizations in New York. Small sample size from the CDC found out that the vaccine efficiency declined against urgent care about 46 percent and to 74 percent against hospitalizations.

This was during the periods of two weeks through two months after vaccination. Many researchers also wanted to note that they didn’t know the circumstances of what the children were doing. They didn’t know if the child was wearing a face mask or social distancing after having the vaccine shot. The CDC reports also further notes that the data was from some while back before the variant Omicron was something that people were fully informed about. 

  A pediatrician and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Judith Flores, stated “infections in omicron are very different from Delta and others. We saw protection from these vaccines less than we would hope because they weren’t designed around the omicron variant.” 

 Although the cases of Omicron were rising, many children should be safe from the variants of COVID-19.

It is also important to note that children were given different dosages of the Pfizer vaccine, children below 11 were given one-third of what 12-year-olds and above received. A report from the New York State experts shows that the difference between dosages given to children affects the probability of getting COVID-19, especially for 11-year-olds to 12-year-olds. While comparing the studies between 11-year-olds and 12-year-olds, researchers discovered that the vaccine efficiency against COVID-19 was reduced to 11 percent for 11-year-olds, whereas for 12-year-olds, it was 67 percent. 

Many argue that this is because young children tend to have a much stronger immune system than adults, thus changing as they grow. 

Flores also added, “That doesn’t mean that people should not vaccinate their children.” 

CDC epidemiologist, Ruth Link-Gelles also noted, “What we see from the data that we have is that the vaccine continues to provide good protection against more severe outcomes.” 

With new variants of COVID-19, more and more answers, as well as questions, are given to the experts. With the vaccines, experts still highly recommend vaccinating children.