While many were disappointed at Pfizer’s most recent announcement that trials of its vaccine in children ages 2 to 5 did not provide the expected immunity, data like this reminds us why clinical trials are so crucial in the first place.
Advancements, medical and non-medical are not possible without trial and error. Pfizer had lowered the dose for children 5 and under to have as few side effects as possible while still providing an immune response. Unfortunately, the data has shown that the smaller dose did not produce the expected immune response.
This data has caused Pfizer to re-evaluate and decide to add a third dose to the clinical trials. While many with children under 5 are upset at this news of trials taking longer and lengthening the amount of time we have to wait for an approved vaccine for children under 5, Pfizer stated that “The decision to evaluate a third dose of 3 micrograms for children 6 months to under 5 years of age reflects the companies’ commitment to carefully select the right dose to maximize the risk-benefit profile”.
While this discovery may come as a disappointment to many who are anxiously awaiting a vaccination for their children, it is comforting to know that the data is being properly evaluated, taken into consideration, and used to create the most effective and tolerable vaccine. Pfizer, along with all of those involved in research, shares one common goal: finding a safe and effective vaccine to protect from COVID-19. This third dose hopes to provide even better protection for our children under 5.
Thanks to clinical trials, this data can be accessed and help scientists create more effective vaccines. The data provided by volunteers in the Pediatric COVID vaccine studies will give Pfizer the information they need to create a safe and effective dose of their vaccine to protect little ones from COVID-19. What may come as a temporary setback, will allow for a healthier future with a more effective vaccine.
You can access Pfizer’s press release for this data here.
