DATA, MAY SUPPORT A NEW PUSH TOWARD PROVIDING COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTERS FOR KIDS AGES FIVE THROUGH 11 HERE TO ANSWER. YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. VANDANA MATA VIN THE CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN, DR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING THAT DATA RELEASED BY PFIZER SHOWED THAT A THIRD SHOT OF A CHILDREN’S DOSE OF THEIR VACCINE RAISED OMICRON. BEING ANTIBODIES BY 36 TIMES. ATWH DOES THAT REALLYEA MN? AND WHAT DO PARENTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ALL OF THIS DATA? IT CAN BE TOUGH TO INTERPRET SOMETIMES. ABSOLUTELY. I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT VACCINES AS REHEARSALS BEFEOR A BIG SHOW PRACTICES BEFORE A BIG GAME. IT ALLOWSHE T IMMEUN SYSTEM TO SEE A PART OF A VIRUS OR PRACTICE DEVELOPIG A RESPONSE TO A VIRUS. BUT OF COURSE WITHOUT REGURLA PRACTICES OR REHEARSALS THAT EF FECTIVENESS IS GOING TO DECREASE AND WE SEE THIS WITH OTHER VACCINES TOO. AND OF COURSE WE’RE LEARNGIN MORE ABOUT THE COVID VACCINES AND HOW FAST THAT HAPPENS IN REAL TIME. AND SO WITH A THDIR DOSE IT SORT OF RE-ENERGIZES IMMUNE SYSTEM ALLOWS THEM TO PRACTICE OR HAVE REHEARSALS AGAIN AND BE EVEN MORE READY FOROU Y KNOW, THE BIG SHOW THE BIG GAME IF SOMEONE IS EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS, AND SO WE’RE SEEGIN THAT WITH THAT THIRD BOOSTER. GIVES EVEN MORE STRENGTH AND STAT IMMUNE RESPONSE AND ALLOWS A CHILD TO BE BTEETR PROTECTED MOVING FORWARD THAT MAKES IT REALLY RELATABLE GREAT EXALEMP STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PFIZER VACCINE IN KIDS AGES 5 TO 12 DROPS SUBSTANTIALLY DURINGHE T OMICRON SURGE BASICALLY FROM 68% TO A LOW 12% WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING COVID. ARE WE AT THE POINT WHERE BOOSTERS ARE NEEDED FOR THAT AGE GROUP NOW? I’M GREAT QUESTION. I THINK ONE THING TO REMEMBER WITH THAT DATA ISTHA T WAS JUST LOOKING AT INFECTIONSND A DIDN’T REALLY PARSE OUT INFECTIONS. REQUIRINGO T SUPPORTIVE CARE AT HOME INFECTIONS BEING ASYMPTOMATIC INFECTIONS REQUIRING HOSPITALIZATION AND THAT VACCINES REMAIN VERY VERY EFFECTIVE AGAINST HOSPITALIZATION. SO IN ETH LARGER SCHEEM OF THINGS CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN A GHHI LEVEL OF PROTECTION AGAINST SARS COVID TO THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES COVID ESPECIALLY NEW VARIANTS REMAINS IMPORTANT TO CONTUEIN TO MAINTAIN THAT PROTECTION AGAINST HOSPITALIZATION AND SEVERE INFECTION, WHICHS I WHAT THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THESE VACCINES IS. THIS IS THE BIG WEEKEND FOR MANY FAMILIES EASTER PASSOVERND A THE BOSTON MARATHON TOO A LOT OF PEOPLE GATHERING STILL WE KNOW A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF KIDS ARE NOT VACCINATED AS CASES RISE. WHAT SHODUL PARENTS BE THINKING ABOUT AS THEY GATHER TOGETHER THIS YEAR. AHYE, IT’S WONDERFUL THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GATHER MORE YOU KNOW THIS YEAR. BUT AGAIN, I’VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT YOU KNOW, FAMILY MASK MANDATES AND REAY LLTHINKING ABOUT WHO IN THE FAMILY MIGHT BE AT HIGHER RISK FOR COMPLICATIONS, EVEN IF EVERYONE IS VACCINATED AND AT LOW RISK FOR COMPLICATIONS, BUT THERE IS A FUTURE EVENT THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANTHT AT PEOPLE GATHER THAT SOMEONE MHTIG BE AT HIGHER SKRI REALLY THINKING ABOUT REINSTATING LOCAL MASS LOCAL MEETING FOR THE FAMILY MASK MANDATES .THINKING ABOUT LIMITING GATHERING SIZE KEENGPI ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT THE LONGER TERM IMPLICATIONS AND EVEN FOR CHILDREN EVEN IF THEY HAVE MILD ILLNESS THEY’RE STILL OUT OF SCHOOL, YOU KNOW FOR UP TO 10 DAYS AND THAT CAN BE REALLY DISRUPTIVE SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, WEIGHING THE RISK AND BENEFITS OF AND YOU KNOW THE HUGE SOCIAL BENEFITS OF BNGEI ABLE TO SEE FRIENDS AND FAMILYND A GATHERING TBU REMEMBERING THAT AN INFECTION EVEN IF MILD CAN BE HULYGE DISRUPTIVE T AO FAMILY VERY GOOD POINT AND IT’S ALSO MILD ENOUGH TO OPEN THE WINDOWS. SO THAT’S ALSO GREAT TO HAVE VENTILATION. THANK YOU VENTILATIONS ALSO KEY. YEAH. THANK YOU DR. MADOVAN. HA
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Do children ages 5-11 need COVID-19 boosters? Boston doctor weighs in
Updated: 1:19 PM EDT Apr 16, 2022
New data may support a new push toward providing COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for children ages 5 through 11.According to data released by Pfizer, a third shot of a children’s dose of its COVID-19 vaccine raised the level of omicron-fighting antibodies 36 times higher.Dr. Vandana Madhavan, clinical director for pediatric infectious disease at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children, said that data can sometimes be tough to interpret, so she likes to use an analogy that compares vaccines to rehearsals before a big show or practices before a big game.”It allows the immune system to see a part of a virus or practice developing a response to a virus,” Madhavan said. “But, of course, without regular practices or rehearsals, that effectiveness is going to decrease, and we see this with other vaccines, too. Of course, we’re learning more about the COVID vaccines and how fast that happens in real time.””So with a third dose, it sort of reenergizes the immune system, allows them to practice or have rehearsals again and be even more ready for the big show, the big game if someone is exposed to the virus,” she added. “So we’re seeing that third booster just gives even more strength to that immune response and allows a child to be better protected moving forward.”In addition, studies have shown that the effectiveness of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children dropped substantially during the surge of the omicron surge. Madhavan, however, did not flat-out say that boosters are absolutely necessary for children ages 5 to 11.”I think one thing to remember about that data is that it was just looking at infections and didn’t really parse out infections requiring supportive care at home, infections being asymptomatic (or) infections requiring hospitalization,” Madhavan said. “Vaccines remain very, very effective against hospitalization. So in the larger scheme of things, continuing to maintain a high level of protection against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, especially new variants, remains important to continue to maintain that protection against hospitalization and severe infection — which is what the primary goal of these vaccines is.”
New data may support a new push toward providing COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for children ages 5 through 11.
According to data released by Pfizer, a third shot of a children’s dose of its COVID-19 vaccine raised the level of omicron-fighting antibodies 36 times higher.
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Dr. Vandana Madhavan, clinical director for pediatric infectious disease at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children, said that data can sometimes be tough to interpret, so she likes to use an analogy that compares vaccines to rehearsals before a big show or practices before a big game.
“It allows the immune system to see a part of a virus or practice developing a response to a virus,” Madhavan said. “But, of course, without regular practices or rehearsals, that effectiveness is going to decrease, and we see this with other vaccines, too. Of course, we’re learning more about the COVID vaccines and how fast that happens in real time.”
“So with a third dose, it sort of reenergizes the immune system, allows them to practice or have rehearsals again and be even more ready for the big show, the big game if someone is exposed to the virus,” she added. “So we’re seeing that third booster just gives even more strength to that immune response and allows a child to be better protected moving forward.”
In addition, studies have shown that the effectiveness of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children dropped substantially during the surge of the omicron surge. Madhavan, however, did not flat-out say that boosters are absolutely necessary for children ages 5 to 11.
“I think one thing to remember about that data is that it was just looking at infections and didn’t really parse out infections requiring supportive care at home, infections being asymptomatic (or) infections requiring hospitalization,” Madhavan said. “Vaccines remain very, very effective against hospitalization. So in the larger scheme of things, continuing to maintain a high level of protection against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, especially new variants, remains important to continue to maintain that protection against hospitalization and severe infection — which is what the primary goal of these vaccines is.”