The Pfizer News Is Exciting
What I want parents to know today.
While we were sleeping, Pfizer was getting ready to hit send on a big press release.
At 6:45 this morning, the company sent out encouraging news regarding the Covid vaccine for our 5 to 11 year-olds. Pfizer is reporting kids getting a safe and “robust” response to the vaccine, using a 2-dose series at a smaller dose.
Here’s what I want parents to know:
Although this is exciting and headline-worthy news, we still don’t know much. We know that the company has studied over 2,200 kids aged 5-11 years. These kids (public health heroes, really) were followed for many weeks after getting 2 doses of vaccine at 1/3rd the adult amount. The press release claims that one month after the second dose, the kids in the study produced neutralizing antibodies comparable to their 12+yo counterparts.
We have not crossed the finish line. The next step is FDA review. The FDA gets the raw data from Pfizer, then the FDA scientists run the numbers to ensure they reach the same conclusions as the company. Once the FDA offers their opinion, then the CDC and ACIP get on board. That's LOTS of critical eyes on the data set to make sure the science is sound.
This is going to seem fast, but it’s really not. We are in a global pandemic. As such, we have the luxury of nearly unlimited cash AND the full attention of an international collection of brilliant minds. When the world is working on one goal, one project, one problem… Results can happen quickly while still maintaining the level of scientific integrity needed to ensure safety and reliability. We should all be leaning in and listening to what our experts have to say.
We are all eager. All of these leading experts understand the risk of Covid infection to our kids, the rates of hospitalization, and the need for this vaccine. I speak for all overworked pediatricians who desperately want this protection for our patients — we are eager, but want to get this right. It's worth a few more weeks to ensure our experts have time to offer us their best.
You can do something TODAY. Find your flu shot! Do not delay flu protection based on a speculative timeline. You will be able to get your child vaccinated against Covid as soon as they are safely eligible, regardless of when the flu shot was administered.
Bottom line: Am I recommending the Covid vaccine for 5yr+?
Don’t you know me by now??? Of course not — I’ve got to see the data! :-) But, I do think today’s news is a promise that we are getting closer. As a doc, it gives me less anxiety about the upcoming Holiday season. As a mom, it gives me a sense of relief for my own kids.
Today, we know the vaccine is coming. Let’s do our best to care for one another until we hear more.
Questions? Drop them in the comments or reply to this email. And if you found this helpful, please share! Growth is the fuel to this letter. I appreciate your confidence to share my words with the people in your world.
More soon,
Dear Natasha, why is it that you say the vaccinations are not being forced on to the children when it is very clear and evident that this is exactly what is occurring and was the plan all along since most alternative therapies were not just rejected but OVERTLY CENSORED AND BANNED?
Why are you permitting the healthy and unvaccinated to be discriminated against? Children have been least affected by covid. Why roll it out for them too? None of these vaccines can be said to be safe since no one yet knows what the long term affects of this global vaccination programme are going to be. Bill Gates must be the happiest man on earth having realised his dream of implanting foreign bodies into other peoples bodies and that for every single human on earth? This is very bizarre and shows what can be done with that limitless money you talk about. Epstein must be just an unfortunate, irritating shadow at this time because everyone is following the Pied Piper. Since you are pro-vaccine for everyone including the children have you taken the time to look at the negative results of vaccine programmes and their extreme affect on the victims? Or are those all just figments of our conspiracy minded imagaination?