Authors: From the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, CDC COVID-19 Response, and the CDC Library, Atlanta GA. Intended for use by public health professionals responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PEER-REVIEWED

Safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents.external icon Frenck et al. NEJM (May 27, 2021).

Key findings:

• Vaccine efficacy was 100% (95% CI 75.3%-100%) in 12- to 15-year-olds.
  • There were no cases in the vaccinated group compared with 16 cases among the placebo group, 7 or more days after dose 2.
• Compared with baseline, geometric mean neutralizing antibody titers were 118.3-fold higher 1 month after dose 2.
• Vaccine reactions were mainly transient, mild to moderate, and similar to a comparator group of 16–25-year-olds.
  • Injection-site pain was reported by 79% to 86%, fatigue was reported by 60% to 66%, and headache was reported by 55% to 65% of participants (Figure).

Methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled, observer-blinded trial of Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162b2 in 2,260 adolescents 12–15 years old (1,129 received placebo). Efficacy of the vaccine was assessed based on confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection with onset 7 or more days after dose 2. Reactogenicity events (assessed for 7 days after each dose) and unsolicited adverse events compared with 16–25 age group (n = 3,610). SARS-CoV-2 serum neutralization assays were performed. Limitations: Racial and ethnic diversity of participants 12-15 years does not reflect the general US population; short (1 month) post-vaccination safety evaluation.

Implications: Vaccination of adolescents with BNT162b2 was safe and effective. Vaccinating adolescents will broaden community protection, and it will likely facilitate reintegration into society and resumption of in-person learning.

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Note: Adapted from Frenck et al. Systemic events reported within 7 days after receiving dose 1 (top) or dose 2 (bottom) of vaccine or placebo. 1 participant in the 12-to-15-year-old group had a fever with a temperature >40°C after dose 1. From the New England Journal of Medicine, Frenck et al., Safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents. May 27, 2021, online ahead of print. Copyright © 2021 Massachusetts Medical Society. Reprinted with permission from Massachusetts Medical Society.

Occurrence of severe COVID-19 in vaccinated transplant patientsexternal icon. Caillard et al. Kidney International. (May 21, 2021).

Key findings:

• 55 solid organ transplant recipients developed COVID-19 after receiving 2 doses of mRNA vaccine.
  • Symptoms began a median of 22 days after the second vaccine dose (Figure).
  • 15 cases required hospitalization; of these, 6 were admitted to an intensive care unit, and 3 died.
• Of 25 patients with post-vaccination serology, 24 were antibody negative; 1 was antibody positive but had low titers.

For More Information: https://www.cdc.gov/library/covid19/06042021_covidupdate.html