A new study reveals, vaccination of 5 to 11-year-olds with Covid-19 reduced hospitalizations by more than two-thirds during the Omicron surge and also protected against severe disease.

In October of last year, the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 was licenced. Many parents have been hesitant to vaccinate their children. According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 27% of children aged 5-11 have received two vaccine doses as of March 16. The study, which was published in The New England Journal of Medicine, also found that vaccination reduced Covid hospitalisation among children ages 12 to 18 years old and provided substantial protection against serious disease.

"The goal of getting a Covid-19 vaccine for a child is to prevent serious SARS-CoV-2 infection, including hospitalisation," said Adrienne Randolph of Boston Children's Hospital.  "This research suggests that immunisation significantly reduces this risk in children aged 5 to 11. While Omicron immunisation gave less protection against hospitalisation than Delta vaccination, it did prevent critical illness in both forms "she continued.

The study comprised 918 teenagers aged 12 to 18 and 267 children aged 5 to 11 who were all treated with Covid at 31 pediatric hospitals across the United States. Patients of a comparable age who were hospitalised for other reasons were also enlisted as controls.

Study finds, drinking 2-3 cups of coffee daily may be beneficial to your heart

Ketogenic diet plus triple drug can prevent pancreatic cancer?

Study finds Pioneering technique could unlock targeted treatments for cancer