FDA Pauses Vaccination for Kids Following Recent Findings

Following a plethora of COVID vaccination changes and a rollercoaster ride of vaccine approval and implementation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now paused the authorization of the new Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for young children. This pause follows recent findings and now opens up a state of confusion with U.S. parents who’re left needing clarification.

Recently,  following federal regulator evaluations of the Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID vaccine for the youngest children (below five years of age) and opposing beliefs in the medical field, doubts have arisen about the new vaccine’s effectiveness in that age group. Adding to confusion to a once thought-of-as-effective vaccine, scientists have now said the vaccine is only weakly protective and only offers minor defense. 

The Trials Which Brought Unexpected Findings

Online news reports revealed that “Recent studies suggest that the problem is not so much the vaccine as the dose… The trials in children were complicated by the arrival of the Delta and Omicron variants, and the vaccine appeared to be less protective in children aged two to four.”

Children aged five to 11 received ten micrograms during the trials, and those six months to five years old received three micrograms. These doses, however, were too low to rouse an  adequate response. 

With higher doses used, children then suffered from fevers.  “What to do when you can’t administer a dose high enough to shield children against the Omicron variant because of side effects? That’s the problem that scientists and federal officials are now wrestling with,” the online article reported.

Many Parents of Schoolchildren Are Unsure of What to Do 

Now, as online sources report, “Given the muddled results on the effectiveness of vaccines and the mixed messages on the benefits of masks, families are weighing risks on their own — and coming to very different conclusions.”

• Do parents now listen to district authorities and health officials and get their child to wear a mask or not? 
• If the schools drop their mask requirements, most parents ask their child to do so as well?
• Do parents follow reputable surgeons who state that healthy children need not be immunized?
• Should a school vaccine mandate be enforced, should parents oblige?  
• Do parents follow experts who endorse vaccines and have their children vaccinated?
• Should parents get their children vaccinated but insist that they do not have to wear masks?

For now, the ever-changing COVID-landscape and the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) pausing of the vaccine leaves the parents simply without answers to the above questions. While confusion is experienced among parents and complications faced for policy decisions for local health officials, it all comes down to the FDA’s decision to grant approval of the vaccine for use in school children or not.

The answer to the question of whether or not to vaccinate children may lie in the upcoming trials. Should parents wish to make a final decision on vaccination and immunization before then, they are advised to do what is best for them and their child, as well as to balance risk and benefit.

It is also advised that parents continue to follow preventative measures as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 

• The promotion of vaccinations 
• Consistent and correct mask use in schools
• Physical distancing at all times at school
• Screen testing on a regular basis
• Well ventilated classrooms with disinfected areas of schoolwork
• Making children stay home should they feel sick or show symptoms 
• Routine handwashing and respiratory etiquette
• Disinfecting of hands and contact tracing

In combination with this, parents can instill healthy eating, regular exercise and daily consumption of vitamin and minerals for their children. 

New Trials Should Avail Some Clarity Among The Confusion

Fortunately for U.S. parents, the upcoming weeks should bring some clarity. As revealed in online news, “Both Pfizer and Moderna plan to report results from trials of their vaccines in young children. The results, if positive, should lead to a new round of regulatory review, perhaps as early as April, that may well allow vaccinations for tens of millions of youngsters.”