Trio Of New Studies Revives Question: Should Children Get A COVID-19 Vaccine?

Three newly published studies have revived concerns about COVID-19 vaccines for young children, many of whom are at little risk of contracting serious cases of the illness. Youth under 18 are the least likely age group to need hospital care after getting COVID-19 but Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was authorized in 2020 for those 16 and older and the authorization was expanded in 2021 to children as young as 5. At the time of the regulatory actions, officials said children should get vaccinated because the jab was highly effective at preventing COVID-19 infection and would likely help curb severe cases among those who still got the disease. That may no longer be the case, according to the new studies. Researchers with the New York State Department of Health found that effectiveness against infection “declined rapidly” for children, hitting approximately 50 percent in January. Research published by the Centers for Disease Control …  » Read full article