Top 5 Takeaways

1. High Vaccine Effectiveness: The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine demonstrated 93% effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization among adolescents aged 12–18 years.
2. Predominant Delta Variant: The study was conducted during the period when the Delta variant was predominant.
3. Critical Illness in Unvaccinated: All critically ill patients requiring life support were unvaccinated, highlighting the importance of vaccination.
4. Real-World Data: This study provides real-world evidence supporting the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in preventing severe COVID-19 in adolescents.
5. Public Health Implications: Increasing vaccination coverage among adolescents could significantly reduce severe COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Original Article Author and Citation

Corresponding Author

Samantha M. Olson, ylz8@cdc.gov

Suggested Citation

Olson SM, Newhams MM, Halasa NB, et al. Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA Vaccination Against COVID-19 Hospitalization Among Persons Aged 12–18 Years — United States, June–September 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:1483–1488. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7042e1

Summary

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in preventing hospitalization among adolescents aged 12–18 years in the United States from June to September 2021. The study found that two doses of the vaccine were 93% effective in preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations during a period when the Delta variant was predominant. The findings underscore the importance of vaccination to protect youths from severe COVID-19 outcomes.

Methods

The study used a test-negative, case-control design involving 464 hospitalized patients aged 12–18 years across 19 pediatric hospitals in 16 states. Participants were categorized as case-patients (hospitalized with symptomatic COVID-19 and a positive test result) or controls (hospitalized with COVID-19-like symptoms but negative test results, or without COVID-19 symptoms). Vaccination status was verified through various sources, and statistical analyses were conducted to determine vaccine effectiveness.

Discussion

The results showed that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was highly effective in preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations among adolescents, consistent with clinical trial data. The study also highlighted that all critically ill patients requiring life support were unvaccinated, reinforcing the importance of vaccination. Limitations included the inability to assess vaccine effectiveness against specific variants and the small sample size for certain subgroups.

Conclusion

The study concludes that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provides significant protection against COVID-19 hospitalization for adolescents. Increasing vaccination rates in this age group could reduce severe COVID-19 cases and support safer in-person school attendance. The findings support ongoing efforts to vaccinate adolescents to mitigate severe COVID-19 outcomes.

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