COVID-19 News and Updates

Hello all,

Nina Duggan here with the latest COVID-19 news and updates. This week we shine a light on what to expect with the upcoming pediatric vaccine, following the Maine Community Action Partnership’s (MeCAP) recent forum.

COVID Communication Special:

What to Know About the Upcoming Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine

On May 25th MeCAP hosted a fantastically informative forum on what to expect from the upcoming 6 month- 5 year old COVID-19 vaccine expected to become available this summer. Here is a brief summary of the information presented about the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines:

Pfizer:

·       Expected to be a three-dose series.

·       Initially tested as a two-dose series, but found to be underperforming and moved to a three-dose series as of December 2021.

·       In April, they reported their clinical trial of 1,700 children, testing for prevention against any disease. They found that:

o   The vaccine had an 81% efficacy against any disease

·       Adverse events data has not been released yet, but they reported no new safety concerns.

Moderna:

·       Expected to be a two-dose series.

·       No data is available yet regarding prevention of severe illness and hospitalization, only for any contraction of COVID-19.

·       Out of a clinical trial of 6,700 children, Moderna found:

o   The vaccine had a 51% efficacy in the 6 month-1 year age group.

o   The vaccine had a 37% efficacy in the 2-5 year age group.

·       Most adverse events were mild/moderate, with the most common being fever (17% of those in the 6 month-1 year age group and 15% in the 2 -5 year age group).

·       There were no cases of myocarditis and no deaths

Dr. Blaisdell went on to discuss the safety of the vaccines in terms of allergic reactions, following a question from the audience. She clarified that mRNA vaccines are some of the least reactive for allergy sufferers, containing no egg products, no pork products, no mercury, no aluminum, etc. This is part of the reason why they need to be treated so carefully and refrigerated.

To watch the forum in its entirety, click here.

The FDA and ACIP will be discussing the Moderna and Pfizer pediatric vaccines at an upcoming meeting on June 15, 2022, after which we should have more information regarding the timeline for the two mRNA vaccines.

They will also be meeting on June 28, 2022, to discuss future vaccines for all in the fall months.

Thanks again everyone for checking in this week. Stay safe, and remember to take care of each other. ~ Nina

Nina Duggan is Healthy Acadia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Project Coordinator. They share weekly updates about COVID-19 in the state of Maine and beyond, along with resources you may find useful on testing, vaccination, and best practices in preventative measures. 

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If you or anyone you know have questions or concerns about COVID-19 or the available vaccines please call or text our COVID-19 Peer Support Line at 207-271-6023, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.