Pfizer’s COVID vaccine is just 12% effective in preventing Omicron infection in children aged five to 11, new study reveals – so why ARE health officials pushing parents to get their kids shots?

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has done little to protect five- to 11- year-olds from infection from the Omicron variant, data revealed by New York state officials on Monday shows.

Researchers at the New York State Department Health gauged infection rates of minors who have had the Pfizer jab made available to them. Children were split into two age groups, one of children five to 11 and the other for children 12 to 17.

They found that the two-dose Pfizer shot was only 12 percent effective at preventing Omicron infection in the younger age group only one month after receival.

The findings have far reaching implications on the use of the vaccines, and whether parents will want to get their children jabbed.

Children do not suffer much of a risk from the virus, with hospitalizations and deaths being especially rare.

The main argument in favor of vaccinating them is to prevent them from spreading the virus, though these findings imply that the vaccine does little to prevent that anyways.

In cities like New York, children as young as five years old were made to show proof of vaccine to enter indoor dining, fitness and entertainments establishments. Children also had to be vaccinated to take part in some school activities.

This likely influenced some parents’ decisions regarding the vaccine – as uptake for the shots has been relatively low in younger age groups – and now official data is coming from the state showing that the shot did little to protect the children from infection.

Some parents also had significant fears about potential side-effects of the vaccine, and took a risk to give their child the shot, only to now find out it potentially is not as effective as advertised.

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