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‘Hopeful’: Pittsburgh pediatrician says Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for kids a potential game changer

Pfizer says their COVID-19 vaccine works for kids 5-11 years old. According to Pfizer, the vaccine prompts a strong antibody response in children.

Just today, the Allegheny County Health Department released COVID-19 numbers for the last 72 hours, and more than 200 cases were diagnosed in kids 0-12 years old.

Allegheny Health Network pediatrician Dr. Michael Petrosky called this a potential game changer.

“Very excited, hopeful, optimistic. We know with kids back in school, kids being together indoors, increases the risk of spread of a lot of illnesses,” he said.

In the Pfizer vaccine trials, more than 2,000 kids received a smaller dose of the vaccine and developed antibodies comparable to teenagers. Children reported having the same side effects as adults.

“The dose of the vaccine for this age range is going to be less than everyone else’s, so the amount of the shot that a kid gets for the ages 5-11, it’s about a third less than what the adults and everyone 12 and older are approved for,” Petrosky said. “Since this summer, the numbers in cases of kids has increased exponentially and they’re the vulnerable population because they cannot get vaccinated. So this is another step to help lessen those numbers.”

Pfizer will soon seek an emergency use authorization from the FDA for kids who fall in this age range.