Thread by @latimes

So how effective are COVID-19 vaccinations for children age 5 to 11?

There are emerging data suggesting that protection against infection wanes for vaccinated children in this age group.

But that shouldn’t be a surprise.

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Some experts say a vaccination series without a booster shot generally have been less effective in protecting against infection from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus than earlier strains, & children in this age group aren’t eligible for a booster.

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The good news is that recent data — a study from New York Department of Health that hasn’t been peer reviewed, & a report published by CDC — underscore that COVID-19 vaccinations for children are protective against severe illness and hospitalization.

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Even though children are less likely to get hospitalized than adults, COVID-19 is still causing a level of deaths high enough that the pandemic is considered one of the leading causes of death in children.

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What’s far more important in determining a vaccine’s helpfulness is its effectiveness against severe illness and hospitalization — not in avoiding runny noses caused by COVID-19, said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, chief of infectious diseases at Stanford.

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Health experts have been worried about low vaccine uptake in children age 5 to 11. Only a little more than one-quarter of U.S. children are fully vaccinated, while 58% of adolescents age 12 to 17 are.

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Figuring out ideal vaccination schedules for kids is more complicated than for adults because children’s bodies can operate in dramatically different ways.

Read more from @ronlin at
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