Habersham’s elementary-aged children could be eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as soon as Halloween if the FDA approves it.
Monday morning, vaccine manufacturer Pfizer announced promising results from their most recent study into the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer says their results show a smaller dose of the vaccine is “safe, well-tolerated and showed robust neutralizing antibody responses” in children aged 5-11.
The study shows the results of the two-dose vaccine in the age group, with a dosage a third of the size given to adults.
“Over the past nine months, hundreds of millions of people ages 12 and older from around the world have received our COVID-19 vaccine. We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children,” said Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, in a press release. “Since July, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the U.S. – underscoring the public health need for vaccination. These trial results provide a strong foundation for seeking authorization of our vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulators with urgency.”
While it’s possible for the vaccine to be available for ages 5-11 as soon as Oct. 31, other experts say the vaccine may not be available until the end of the year for children in this age category. Study results of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children under 5 years old are expected by the end of the year, according to the company.
COVID-19 cases are currently decreasing in school-aged children in Habersham after the county saw a spike in COVID-19 cases in children between the ages of 0-4 and 5-17 at the beginning of the month as the Delta variant spread rapidly through the state.
But even though cases in school-aged Habersham citizens are decreasing, the overall COVID-19 numbers in the county have climbed back to pre-vaccine levels.
“Getting vaccinated prevents severe illness, hospitalization, and death; it also helps reduce the spread of the virus in communities,” the Georgia Department of Public Health says. “With the Delta variant, this is more urgent than ever. The highest spread of cases and severe outcomes is happening in places with low vaccination rates.”
Currently, only 36 percent of Habersham citizens are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 42 percent have at least one dose.
