Back to school is in full swing, which can mean upgraded vaccines and booster shots. Earlier this year, the Federal Drug Administration approved an Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 boosters for children ages 5-11.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed the effects and health impacts of children who received the third dose of Pfizer-BioNTech. V-safe is a voluntary safety surveillance system available for smartphones where results were reported monitoring adverse effects of the vaccine.
Adverse effects or events were reported to VAERS, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System used by public health organizations, the general public, and vaccine manufacturers. Reports were classified as serious if the child was hospitalized, prolonged hospitalization, life-threatening illness, and death.
Between mid-May and late July of 2022, more than 657,000 kids received the third booster for ages 5-11. Boosters were administered to immunocompromised and immunocompetent children. A total of 3,249 third doses were reported to v-safe for children in that age group. The most common adverse reactions were pain at the injection spot, fatigue, and headache. Reactions were relatively mild. Most of the reports were submitted the day after the booster shot.
A small percentage of parents reported their child could not go to school or do daily activities a week after the third dose. An even smaller percentage reported parents seeking medical care for their child after the third dosage from outpatient care or over a telehealth visit. There were no reports of a child needing to be hospitalized.
More than half of the reports from VAERS were classified as non-serious, with the most common effect being a vaccine administered error. No deaths or illnesses were reported after the third dose for children aged 5-11. Serious adverse effects from the vaccine were rare in this study.
The Federal Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to minor the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 boosters.
