Thu, 03/17/2022 | News

Children experience fewer side effects from COVID-19 vaccine

Latest COVID-19 vaccine safety data from AusVaxSafety active surveillance indicate that children aged 5–11 years are reporting fewer side effects than older Australians following their dose 2 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination.

33 per cent of children experienced one or more expected side effects, compared with 53 per cent of Australian population aged 12 years and older, in the first 3 days following their dose 2 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination.

Children aged 5–11 years were also less likely to visit a doctor or emergency department following dose 2 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination than older Australians, with medical attendance rates similar to those reported for other childhood immunisations.

The most commonly reported side effects among children aged 5–11 years following their dose 2 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination were local reactions (pain at injection site, swelling, redness and itching) followed by fatigue and headache. These common adverse events are linked to the immune response following immunisation and are expected to occur. These are generally mild and short-lived, with the overwhelming majority of recipients recovering within 3 days.

Associate Director of Clinical Research and Services at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) Associate Professor Nick Wood said, “Australian data analysed to date are extremely reassuring and are in line with what has been observed internationally for this age group.”

“The data generated are specific to Australian children and provide parents and carers of children aged 5–11 years with real-world information on what to expect following Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination.”

“These new data build on dose 1 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine safety data published by AusVaxSafety in January 2022,” continued Associate Professor Wood.

To collect data, AusVaxSafety distributes a short online survey via SMS or email to parents/carers of children aged 5–11 years who received their Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a participating AusVaxSafety site, allowing participants to report any adverse events their child may have experienced at different time points after vaccination.

De-identified data from completed surveys are analysed and monitored by AusVaxSafety epidemiologists and vaccine experts to ensure that the vaccine is performing as safely and effectively as it is expected to.

AusVaxSafety has received more than 130,000 completed day 3 safety surveys from parents and carers of children aged 5–11 years who received Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and will perform ongoing monitoring for this age group.

Access the latest Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine safety data for children aged 5–11 years here

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