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Like many parents of young children, I was gutted by the news from Pfizer in December that their 2 dose regiment provided inadequate protection for children ages 2-5. Now Pfizer is moving ahead with requesting emergency authorization for a 2 dose regiment while they're testing a 3rd dose, making an assumption that the 3rd dose will work. I fully believe the vaccine is safe and effective and have been anxiously awaiting the vaccine for my 4-year-old. However, I'm slightly concerned about the assumption that a 3rd dose of the vaccine will be effective. My daughter will be five next December, so waiting isn't a great option. Any advice for parents who might be in a similar situation to me?
The news from Pfizer in December 2021 was a blow to hopes for a more rapid rolling out of young children vaccination. In the earliest phase of the testing of the Pfizer vaccine in children 2-4 years of age, a dose selection was made based on a very small sample size (3 mcg in children <5 years old, compared to 10 mcg for children 5-11 years old). The dose selection showed good antibody responses that looked equivalent to those of young adults. However, when the studies were expanded, the larger sample size of children showed that 2 doses resulted in lower than expected antibody responses in children 2-4 years old. On the other hand, children<2 years old continued to demonstrate the “good” antibody responses in the large sample size. Herein is why small sample size studies have poor precision when compared to large sample sizes. So, Pfizer was forced to consider a 3-dose regimen for children 2-4 years of age. This is one of the casualties of trying to balance a rapid response to a global pandemic vs. retrospectively second guessing decisions based on more definitive data. Your daughter will be 5 years of age and can get the 10 mcg vaccine as a 2-dose regimen. Parents of children ages 2-4 years of age will probably have to consider the 3 mcg vaccine as a 3-dose regimen. Parents of children 6 months to 23 months of age will be considering the 3 mcg vaccine as a 2-dose regimen. Yes, very confusing and frustrating. Don’t’ blame the scientists, blame the pandemic virus.
