Pfizer shots protect kids from severe COVID even in omicron

Pfizer shots protect kids from severe COVID even in omicron

An information sign is displayed as a child arrives with her parent to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11-years-old at London Middle School in Wheeling, Ill., Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

(AP)- A new government report shows Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine gave children 5 and older strong protection against hospitalization and death even during the omicron surge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new data Tuesday. A day earlier, a study from New York raised the question of whether the vaccine is less effective in children ages 5 to 11, especially against milder infections. Younger kids get a smaller dose than teens. But CDC data from additional states doesn’t suggest an age problem. Vaccines generally are less effective against omicron infection but still protect against severe outcomes.

Photo: An information sign is displayed as a child arrives with her parent to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11-years-old at London Middle School in Wheeling, Ill., Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)