Drugmaker, Pfizer-BioNTech is gearing up for authorizations for vaccinating 12 to 15 year-olds in the United States this Friday. This move is targeted at seeking herd immunity. One that is revered as one of the most pivotal steps in the days to come for curbing Covid.
Covid-19 Vaccinations In The Offing – Pfizer-BioNTech Gearing Up For Approvals For 12–15 Year-Olds
Vaccinating the teens would reduce a greater burden that has plagued the parents for quite a long while. The ones who have double the pressure of juggling with their jobs coupled with homeschooling their children since Covid-19 hit. The demands have led to a voluminous strain that is set to be eased once the new regulation comes to the fore. Thus, relieving a huge chunk of the populace.
A statement quoted by the companies states how similar requests are being planned by the regulatory bodies across the world in the days to come. The US Food and Drug Administration saw requests immediately lining up post the Phase 3 clinical trials of the Pfizer vaccine among the adolescents. The effectiveness was accounted for 100 percent in 12 to 15 year-olds in averting the disease.
2260 adolescents were participants in the clinical trials whose results were published in late March in the US. The results painted a picture of how the responses of antibodies against Covid have been vigorous and might be critical in taming the pandemic.
The side effects of the vaccine were determined to be consistent and were well tolerated amongst the participants in the age bracket of 16 to 25 years. The companies on a declaration this Friday stated how the vaccine is registered and authorized for emergency usage in people who are 16 years and above. So far, the priority group has been the elderly people who are more prone to the disease and as well as hospitalization. While the children have been kept out of the domain since they are less susceptible and even less likely to get a severe form of Covid.
The unanimous dilemma has been how the children make for a larger part of the society and hence the need for inoculation is even higher. This is particularly true if the country is aiming at gaining herd immunity to restrain newer strains of the virus from gaining a foothold. Wherein the higher the proportion of people with antibodies can prevent the virus from spreading its tentacles further.
The experts are unclear on one agenda that is supposed to streamline the process of herd immunizations. The percentage of the population that needs to be vaccinated is not known and no presumptions can be made in this regard. Anthony Fauci, a leading US immunologist was quick to quote that the percentage has to be between 70 to 85 percent.
The government reports stated that back in February, the US was planning to get children below the age group of 12 vaccinated anytime by early 2022. The processes of getting inoculated have so far been streamlined and ramped up and countries worldwide are racing ahead of time to vaccinate the masses.
The very first of vaccines to find approval was the BioNTech/Pfizer shot. One that has been derived and build from new mRNA technology and was launched in the latter half of 2020.
However, the other drugmakers in the biz are not far behind in the race to achieve herd immunity. Moderna, a US biotech company began its early trials on children aged between 6 months to 11 years. Whereas Johnson & Johnson, another pharma major, that was the last to be approved also is bucking up its pace in its clinical trials. The clinical trials for Johnson & Johnson saw the inclusion of 12 to 17 year-olds.