Pfizer Vaccine is Highly Effective in Adolescents

A study focused on the delta variant of Covid-19 revealed that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was highly effective in adolescents. According to it, the risk of disease in fully vaccinated young people decreased by 93%.

The New England Journal of Medicine published the work. It presented the data on the adolescent population of Israel produced by the Israeli Clalit Research Institute, in collaboration with US Harvard University.

According to the research center statement, the study is the first of its kind where the delta variant is dominant. The research development coincided with the fourth wave of the coronavirus, which took place between June 8 and September 14. 

The researchers reviewed data from 94,354 vaccinated youngsters, aged between 12 to 18. Considering the sample’s demographic, geographic, and health characteristics, the results were matched with the same number of unvaccinated adolescents. 

The results revealed that the risk of Covid-19 dropped by 93%in fully vaccinated adolescents after 7 to 21 days of the second dose.

The effectiveness of the vaccine was lower after the 1st dose

Meanwhile, the vaccine’s effectiveness was lower before the second dose, 12-20 days after the first dose. Still, the risk of the infection declined by 57% in vaccinated people.

The data was insufficient to provide an evaluation on the decrease in the rate of severe disease, hospitalization, and mortality. The center note states that these results are rare among adolescents. 

In turn, these results certainly show that the vaccine was highly effective against the symptomatic demonstration of the virus after the second dose.

The center also noted that the data is strong evidence favoring the option to be vaccinated. This is especially true in countries where the spread of the virus is high. At the same time, indecision in vaccination resulted from the lack of information on the vaccine’s effectiveness. Harvard Medical School hopes that this information will be useful for those who have not decided on vaccination yet.