“Authorization for emergency use against Coronavirus in adolescents between 12 and 15 years and in children for the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech”Is what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided yesterday.
With the usual speed and pragmatism, the FDA was the first to give the green light in the world for this age group, little touched by the virulence of the virus.
In fact, of the nearly 600,000 deaths from Covid-19 in the United States “alone” 300 were under the age of 18.
The agency based its authorization by looking at a study of 2,300 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 15 that showed 100% effectiveness. There were only 16 cases of Covid-19 in the study, all among teenagers who had received a placebo.
It is clear that the decision taken lies in the awareness that schools will reopen in September and the will of the Federal Government is to allow a return as safe as possible.
Last month, the US regulatory agency approved its use on young people over the age of 16 for Pfizer.
The last step to allow the vaccination of the very young now is the next meeting of the experts of the CDC, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. As happened on other occasions there will be the green light and therefore vaccinations for children will begin.
Surely the other two American producers, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, who are testing their vaccines on adolescents and children, will ask for the same authorization.
At the moment, however, the last two vaccines against COVID-19 are authorized for use on young people aged 18 and over.
To achieve the goal of July 4, the “day of the virus release”, President Joe Biden has ordered the purchase of an additional 300 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech to vaccinate 150 million people.
In an entirely nationalistic logic “Americans first” understandable but not entirely justifiable in a logic of solidarity, especially when the liberalization of vaccines is called for, the Democrat Biden managed to get a very high number of people vaccinated. Nearly 200 million Americans received at least one first dose, and about 115 million people (35% of the population) completed the treatment.
The green light for very young people between the ages of 12 and 15 will guarantee protection for another 5%, about 17 million.
The agency based its clearance on a study of nearly 2,300 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 15 that showed 100% effectiveness in that age group. There were only 16 cases of Covid-19 in the study, all among teenagers who received a placebo.
And America is moving even faster than expected to some kind of herd immunity as it is rocketing the economy.