Article was published in the journal Vaccine, which promotes an interface between academics, researchers, and field workers
Foto: Envato
Covid-19 is an acute respiratory infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, potentially severe, highly transmissible and globally widespread. In 2020, the disease was declared a global thread by the World Health Organization (WHO), causing turmoil in the lives of the people across the world. The article “Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and CoronaVac against Covid-19-related severe outcomes among children and adolescents: A Brazilian nationwide cohort study“, conducted by professors from the Graduate Program in Pediatrics and Child Health at PUCRS, presents a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of the BNT 162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccines in preventing hospitalizations and deaths caused by Covid-19 among children and adolescents in Brazil.
The publication is the first study to include the entire Brazilian population aged 5 to 17 during the period of highest incidence of Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of both vaccines in different age groups (children aged 5 to 11 and adolescents aged 12 to 17), focusing on severe outcomes related to the pandemic during the period of variant predominance in Brazil.
The impact of the article lies in reinforcing, based on real data, that Covid-19 vaccines effectively reduce the severity of cases and mortality among individuals aged 5 to 17. According to Marcelo Comerlato Scotta, professor at the PUCRS School of Medicine and the Graduate Program in Pediatrics and Child Health, given the widespread of false information regarding childhood vaccines, the study’s data also help reduce vaccine hesitancy among parents and guardians.
“The findings reinforce that the occurrence of severe cases is not as rare as was widely spread through misinformation across the internet. And, precisely because of this, it is important that parents vaccinate their children,” he states.
The main results showed a reduction of hospitalization, the need for mechanical ventilation, and death with the BNT162b2 (Pfizer) and CoronaVac (Butantan) vaccines, which demonstrated an 80% reduction in mortality among vaccinated children, with high protection observed as early as two weeks after the dose. The Pfizer vaccine showed high efficacy in preventing hospitalization and death, especially after the second dose. The Sinovac vaccine also had positive results, with significant protection against severe outcomes, particularly in contexts of greater vulnerability and vaccine scarcity.
