Pfizer says COVID shot 80 percent effective in young kids

LOS ANGELES, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said Monday that preliminary clinical data showed their three-dose COVID-19 vaccine regimen was 80 percent effective for children 6 months to 5 years old at preventing illness during the Omicron wave.

The vaccine was found to elicit a strong immune response following a third dose, and was well tolerated by the kids with a majority of the side effects mild to moderate, according to the companies.