MOH begins research to study the safety and effectiveness of 2 COVID-19 vaccines for kids under five years old. They hope to ensure the safety and efficiency of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for younger children.
This follows the recent voting of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel which authorised the mentioned vaccines. With this, we parents can prepare for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5 and the Moderna shot for children under 6.
In this article, you’ll read:
- MOH Looks Into 2 COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Under 5
- MOH Begins Research on COVID-19 Vaccines For Kids and Babies
- Importance of the Studies on COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids
MOH Looks Into 2 COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Under 5
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination collaborate to study two COVID-19 vaccines. They aim to know the safety and effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in young children under 5-year-old.
Afterwards, MOH stated they would be studying the use of the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for kids. Moderna vaccine will be for children ages six months to five years old. Meanwhile, the Pfizer vaccine will be for children ages six months to four years old.
The announcement happened after the United States Food and Drug Administration expanded the authorisation for the two vaccines. The authorisations of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines now include children as young as six months old.
MOH Begins Research on COVID-19 Vaccines For Kids and Babies
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According to the White House, vaccinations for younger children could begin this late June. Meanwhile, Singapore’s MOH is still studying to know the two vaccines’ safety and effectiveness in children.
At present, MOH is engaging the vaccine manufacturers to conduct a risk-benefit evaluation of the two vaccines. They need to know the risk before finally using the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for kids ages five and below.
In December last year, the authority approved the use of Pfizer for children ages five to 11 years old. Children receive two paediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine; each amount is a third of what an adult gets.
During that time, researchers from the National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Duke-NUS Medical School collaborate on a study. It is an observational study on the immune response to COVID-19 vaccines in different groups of children.
Additionally, researchers intend to study 460 participants ages five to 16 years old. They did the study for over a year to track the immune responses to the Pfizer mRNA vaccine and vaccine efficacy.
Aside from that, they also wanted to monitor the side effects and detect asymptomatic COVID-19 vaccines in these children.
Importance of the Studies on COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids
Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines receive FDA emergency use authorisations. At last, children as young as 6-month-old are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.
Some parents are eager to vaccinate their children, and others are still hesitant. Here are the things that parents should know about the COVID-19 vaccines for children.
Are Vaccines Safe for Younger Children?
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Pfizer and Moderna vaccines separately presented the result of their clinical trials. Fortunately, both are shown to be safe and effective in young children.
Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration decided to release its analysis of the two vaccines. They said that they would not need to raise safety concerns regarding the vaccine and that they were effective.
The Efficacy of the Vaccines on Children
Here are the details about the efficacy of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines on younger children:
Pfizer-BioNTech
The efficacy of Pfizer in children ages five and below was 80.3% in preventing symptomatic infection. After having their third dose, kids elicited a strong immune response.
Moderna
The Moderna vaccine was 51% effective against symptomatic infection among children ages six months to 2 years old. Meanwhile, it was 37% effective among children ages 2 to 5.
When compared, adult vaccines had higher efficacy. It is because they were created to match the original virus, which has mutated since the pandemic started. Meanwhile, the children’s vaccine studies were conducted during the omicron wave.
COVID-19 Boosters for Children
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According to the US Food and Drug Administration, there is a possibility that children will also need a booster dose. Based on experience with adults, kids under five will need to have their booster shot eventually.
At present, the Moderna has begun testing booster shots in all paediatric age groups. The booster for kids under six will likely be either the original vaccine or a new version the company is working on.
COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Younger Than 6 Months Old
Moderna aims to test its vaccine in children ages three months to 6 months. Younger children presumably also get some antibodies against COVID-19 from their mum. However, it could disappear over time; that is why there could be a vaccine needed for them.
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