COVID-19 | Pfizer vaccine 91% effective in pre-teens - study

JOHANNESBURG - The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has a 91% efficacy in preventing symptomatic infections in 5-to-11-year-old children, according to a study released on Friday.

The data was collected in the US in August and September as the US considers vaccinating the 5-to-11-year-old age group.

The young ones could receive their jabs as early as November.

Advisors to the Food and Drug Administration will publicly debate the study’s evidence next week.

Meanwhile, in South Africa, teenagers started getting their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine this week.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases reported 517 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours.

A total of 56 more people died of COVID-19 related complications taking the death toll in South Africa to 88,891.