Australian children aged 5-11 will start to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from January 10 as recommended by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI). As part of the recommendation, children in this group will receive two 10 microgram doses (one-third of the over-12s dose), given eight weeks apart.
While this is an important step in helping to protect the community against COVID-19, safety of the vaccines will continue to be paramount and closely monitored.
This article highlights what the current trial data says about safety and efficacy, including what data we already know from real-world experience of the Pfizer vaccine in the US. Currently, more than 5 million US children aged 5-11 have received one dose and more than 2 million have had a second dose.
One safety concern of particular interest is myocarditis, a rare side effect seen after the second dose in young males aged 12-17. Reassuringly, to date, no cases of myocarditis or pericarditis have been reported in the clinical trials of 5-11-year olds.
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The Conversation: Safety, side effects, allergies and doses. The COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for 5-11 year olds explained