Currently, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is the only Covid-19 vaccine licensed for use in children by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Similar to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine used for adults and children over 12 years old, the vaccine for children 5-11 years old is prepared using mRNA technology.
Baby Dante Garcia, 9 years old, received the first dose of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on November 4, 2021 at Esperanza Medical Center, Philadelphia, USA.
However, although prepared using the same technology, the vaccine for children 5-11 years old has certain differences compared to the vaccine used for older age groups.
Amount
According to instructions from pharmaceutical company Pfizer, children 5-11 years old will be given the vaccine at a dose of 10 micrograms, only one-third the dose for adults and children over 12 years old.
However, vaccines for adults and children have both been shown to be more than 90% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19.
Number of injections
Currently, for both adults and children over 5 years old, the basic dose of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is 2 shots, 21 days apart.
However, while adults and children over 12 years of age are recommended to receive a booster dose at least 5 months after completing the primary dose of Pfizer/BioNTech, there is no recommendation that a booster dose be given to children 5-
Risk of side effects
Children aged 5-11 years old may experience the same side effects from the Covid-19 vaccine as older age groups, including pain at the injection site, headache, chills, body aches, fatigue, mild fever
However, according to data analyzed from Pfizer’s phase 2 and 3 trials, the incidence of side effects in young children is often less than that in older children and adults.
According to the CDC, children ages 5-11 rarely experience dangerous side effects when receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
Meanwhile, some cases of myocarditis have been reported in older age groups.
In general, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 is considered safe and effective for children 5-11 years old.
