The Pfizer Covid vaccine is far less effective in children aged between five and 11 than in older people, a new study has found.
The research, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, looked at the impact that the Pfizer vaccine had on case numbers and hospitalisations in young children amid the emergence of the Omicron variant in New York in December and January.
Cases and hospitalisations rates from December 13, 2021 to January 30, 2022 among 852,384 fully vaccinated children aged between 12 and 17 were compared with data in 365,502 fully vaccinated children aged between five and 11.
Vaccine efficiency against cases declined from 66 per cent in adults to 51 per cent in those aged between 12 and 17-years-old.
This decreased even more significantly in children aged between five and 11, with vaccine efficiency against cases reaching just 12 per cent.
Effectiveness against hospitalisations also dropped from 73 per cent in children aged between 12 and 17-year-old to 48 per cent in kids aged between five and 11.
It has been noted that 12-year-old children were given 30 micrograms of the vaccine - which was the same given to adults - compared to 11-year-olds being given just 10 micrograms.
Florian Krammer, an immunologist at the Icachn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told the New York Times: “The difference between the two age groups is striking.”
Speaking on the dosage difference, he said: “This is super interesting because it would almost suggest that it’s the dose that makes the difference.
“The question is how to fix that.”
The study concluded that vaccination of younger children is recommended as it is protective against severe disease.
Experts behind the study highlighted the potential need to study alternative vaccine dosing for children, and the importance of other protections such as mask wearing.
Young Scots aged between five and 11-years-old are expected to receive their appointments for their vaccine from mid-March.
Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf welcomed the decision by the JCVI to recommend the vaccination of this age group last month.
The minister said: “We continue to prioritise at risk five to 11-year-olds. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks for children in this cohort and we urge parents and carers to read all the information available to them on NHS Inform before they make a decision.”
He added: “Scotland has one of the highest uptake rates for vaccination anywhere in the world and vaccination continue to be the cornerstone of our battle against Covid-19.
“The very high vaccination rates achieved so far have helped up considerably on our path back to normality and we urge everyone to take up their invitation when it is offered.”
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