Study Finds Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines 70 to 76 Percent Effective Against Severe Illness in Kids
- By BSTQ Staff
A recent study in Taiwan that examined the vaccine effectiveness (VE) against moderate to severe COVID-19 infection in children aged 6 to 11 years found the Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162b2 VE was 69.9 percent and the Moderna mRNA-1273 VE was 75.5 percent during Omicron BA.2/BA.5 predominance in 2022. In addition, the adjusted VE against infection of any severity was 58.8 percent for BNT162b2 and 73.9 percent for mRNA-1273. What’s more, both vaccines maintained high protection in children with underlying medical conditions and reduced visits to the emergency department.
In the study of 347,715 children, 33.2 percent received BNT162b2, 26.3 percent were given mRNA-1273 and 40.5 percent were unvaccinated. Findings showed 32.0 percent of all participants contracted COVID-19, and the crude infection rate was 39.7 percent in BNT162b2 recipients, 35.5 percent in the mRNA-1273 group and 23.4 percent in unvaccinated children.
In total, 0.61 percent of participants developed moderate-to-severe COVID-19, including 0.29 percent, 0.23 percent and 1.42 percent in the BNT162b2, mRNA-1273 and unvaccinated groups, respectively. Three deaths occurred, one in the BNT162b2 group and two in unvaccinated children, for corresponding death rates of 0.02 percent and 0.06 percent, respectively.
The crude infection incidence was 0.35 percent in the BNT162b2 group, 0.21 percent in the mRNA-1273 group and 0.79 percent in unvaccinated participants.
The researchers noted that the vaccines were effective despite being based on the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and being used during an Omicron wave characterized by high transmissibility and immune evasion.
“These findings support the continued use of pediatric COVID-19 vaccination, particularly in settings where prior infection remains relatively uncommon, and underscore the role of mRNA vaccines in preventing severe pediatric disease as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve,” they concluded.
References
Beusekom, MV. Pfizer, Moderna COVID Vaccines 70% to 76% Effective Against Severe Illness in Kids in 2022, Data Suggest. CIDRAP, May 19, 2026. Accessed at www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/pfizer-moderna-covid-vaccines-70-76-effective-against-severe-illness-kids-2022-data.