Video: Boston doctor reacts to FDA’s approval of COVID-19 booster for children under 12
Updated: 6:41 PM EDT May 17, 2022
ERIKA: A THIRD DOSE OF PFIZER’S COVID-19 VACCINE IS NOW AVAILABLE TO CHILDREN AGES 5 TO 11. HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IS DR. SHIRA DORON, THE HOSPITAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER. GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US. DR. DORON: GREAT TO BE BACK. BEN: AS YOU KNOW, THIS AGE GROUP HAS THE LOWEST VACCINATION RATE IN THE COUNTRY. JUST 35% HAVE RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE SHOT. THE NUMBER IN MASSACHUSES TTIS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, ABOUT 57%. BUT STILL, THAT IS NOT GREAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER AGE GROUPS. IT IS A CHALLENGE TO EXPLAIN TO PARENTS WHY THEIR KIDS NEED THE FIRST OR SECOND SH.OT WHAT’S THE ARGUMENT FOR OFFERING A THIRD? DR. DON:RO LET’S’FIRST CLARIFY THAT THE FDA HAS AUTHORIZED A THIRD DOSE FOR THIS AG GROUP, BUT WE DON’T YET HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CDC. THREI ADVISORY GROUP IS MEETING ON THURSDAY AND WILL GO THROUGH THE AVAILABLE DATA AND ONLY THEN WILL WE KNOW IF THEY ARE OAK GOING TO MAKE- – ARE GOING TO MAKE A BLANKET RECOMMENDATION FOR THE AGE GROUP. THE RATIONALE FOR THE FDA AUTHORIZATION IS IMMUNITY FROM INFECTNIO WANES AFTER THE SECOND DOSE, ANTIBODY LEVELS WERE INCREASED IN A SMALL STUDY OF CHILDREN GIVEN A THIRD DOSE, AND THERE WERE NO SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS SEEN IN THE NEARLY00 4 CHILDREN WHO RECEIVED THE BOOSTER IN THE CLINICAL TRIAL. ERIKA: YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE RISKS, THE BENEFITS. WHAT IS THE CALCULATION, DO YOU TH INK IT IS WORTH IT FOR THESE KIDS, ESPECIALLY HEALTHY ONES TO GET THIS THIRD SHOT? DR. DORON: I AM RESERVING JUDGMENT UNTIL I SEE ALL THE DATAND A HEAR WHAT I EXPECT TO BE AN EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION ON THIS ISSUE BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES THIS THURSDAY. THOSE ARE OUR NATION’SOP T EXPERTS ON THE VACCINE. BEN: THE STATE COVID NUMBERS ARE STILL GOING UP, CASES THE HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS DESPITE OUR HIGH VACCINATION RATE. DOES IT SUGGEST TO YOU THAT MAY BE VACCINES BROADLY ARE NOT WORKING AS WELL AS THEY SHOULD, OR NOT STOPPING TRANSMISSION? DR. DORON:HE T DATA CAN BE DECEIVING IF YOU DON’T LOOK AT IT IN CLOSE DETAIL. I’VE BEEN WORKING WITH A GROUP OF RESEARCHERS WHO WORK WITH NATIONALOS HPITAL DATA AND WE PUBLISHED A STUDY IN JANUARY SHOW WHEN YOU CAN USE A CERTAIN COVID MEDICATION AS A PROXY FOR WHETHER A PATIENT TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID IN THE HOSPITAL DUE TO COVID OR DUE TO OTRHE REASONS. OUR STATE HAS BEEN MEASURING THAT STATISTIC EVER SINCE. ONLY 30% TO 35% OF COVID HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS ARE IN THE HOSPITAL DUE TO COVID NOWADAYS. WE HAVE A NEW STUDY THAT SHOWS ESPECIALLY DURING THE DELTA AND OMICRON WAVES, WHETHER YOURE A CCVAINATED AND BOOSTED DETERMINES HOW LIKELY YOU ARE TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL DUE TO COVID, OR INCIDENTALLY IF YOURE A A COVID HOSPITALIZATION. AS A COUNTRY WE NEED TO BE COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION ON HOSPITAL HIS EYES –N O HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH COVID OR WE RKIS UNDERMINING VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS AND CONFIDENCE.
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Video: Boston doctor reacts to FDA’s approval of COVID-19 booster for children under 12
Updated: 6:41 PM EDT May 17, 2022
The FDA authorized a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11, and the CDC could finalize the move as early as this week.
The FDA authorized a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11, and the CDC could finalize the move as early as this week.
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