The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine lowered the incidence of omicron-based SARS-CoV-2 infection by 31% in children aged 5 to 15 in a recent study.
The vaccine was more effective in children between the ages of 12 and 15, lowering the risk of omicron infection by 59%, according to the study from CDC and Abt Associates.
Participants in the study received two doses of the vaccine.
The Pediatric Research Observing Trends and Exposures in COVID-19 Timelines (PROTECT) study incorporated real-world data and also gauged vaccine effectiveness against the delta variant.
Studying weekly nasal swab and survey data from 1,346 children in Arizona, Florida, Texas and Utah, researchers were able to capture mild infections.
“Other pediatric vaccine effectiveness studies relied on lab testing data or health records and generally captured only cases where a child had symptoms and received health care,” said Lauren Olsho, the PROTECT study’s principal investigator. “With increased use of home rapid testing, studies like ours are needed to provide more comprehensive information on rates of infection and vaccine effectiveness,” she continued in a release.
The researchers in the study also noted that vaccinated children were more likely to wear masks, which is a factor that likely influenced the results.