https://www.health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/approved-vaccines/pfizer#pfizer-vaccine-for-5-to-11-year-oldsTHIS part from the text below :
The risk in children aged 5 to 11 years is not yet known. The clinical trial in children aged 5 to 11 years did not have enough participants to assess rates of myocarditis or pericarditis following the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, but no specific safety concerns have been identified so far from millions of doses of this vaccine administered overseas to children aged 5 to 11 years. The benefits of vaccination outweigh this very rare risk, and vaccination is still recommended for all eligible age groups.
Approval for use in Australia
Comirnaty (Pfizer) is approved for use in people aged 5 years and over.
The TGA provisionally approved Pfizer for use in Australia on 25 January 2021 (for 16 years and over), 22 July 2021 (for 12 years and over) and 5 December 2021 (for 5 years and over).
The Pfizer vaccine is currently available for all people aged 5 years and over.
Appointments for children aged 5 to 11 years start from 10 January.
Dose schedule
People aged 12 years and older need 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, given between 3 and 6 weeks apart.
Children aged 5 to 11 years need 2 doses of Pfizer for children (one third the adult dose), given 8 weeks apart unless advised by a medical professional.
You may not be fully protected against COVID-19 until 7 to 14 days after your second dose.
Find out more about booster doses for people aged 18 years and older and third doses for people aged 12 years and older with severe immunocompromise.
What's in the Pfizer vaccine
Pfizer is a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine. This type of vaccine uses a genetic code called RNA to make your body's cells produce the coronavirus’ specific spike protein.
Your immune system cells then recognise the spike protein as a threat and begin building an immune response against it. The RNA from the vaccine does not change your DNA in any way, and your body quickly breaks it down.
Pfizer does not contain any live virus and it cannot give you COVID-19.
This videofrom John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health explains how mRNA vaccines work.
You can read the full Cominarty (Pfizer) Consumer Medicine Informationdocument on the TGA site for more details (click 'I accept' to see the PDF).
Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11 year olds
On 5 December 2021, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) provisionally approved the Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years .
The TGA’s provisional approval of Pfizer for children was based on a careful evaluation of available data to support its safety and efficacy among this age group.
Vaccinating children can help protect children from getting COVID-19. It can also help prevent children passing the virus onto younger siblings, parents, grandparents and the wider community.
The paediatric vaccine dose of Pfizer for children is one third of the dose for people aged 12 and over.
Children aged 5 to 11 years will receive a 2-dose primary course of vaccination, given 8 weeks apart.
Parents, carers and guardians can book appointments through theVaccine Clinic Finder, with appointments starting from 10 January 2022. If you can’t find an appropriate appointment, please check back regularly as more appointments will become available.
Note that not all vaccine providers will administer Pfizer to children aged 5 to 11 years.
Common side effects
As with any vaccine, you may have some temporary side effects after receiving Pfizer. This shows your immune system is working.
Common side effects after Pfizer include:
- injection site pain or swelling
- tiredness
- headache
- muscle or joint pain
- fever and chills.
Most side effects are mild and go away within 1 to 2 days.AusVaxSafety datashows that side effects are more common after the second dose.
Rare side effects
Myocarditis or pericarditis in young people
In rare cases, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) and pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane around the heart) can develop after vaccination with Pfizer.
Most cases have mild symptoms and recover well.
The TGA reportsthat these rare effects on the heart typically occur:
- within 10 days of vaccination
- after the second dose
- more often in men aged under 30.
Contact a doctor or go to hospital immediately if you develop any of the following symptoms after a Pfizer vaccination:
- chest pain
- pressure or discomfort in the chest
- irregular, skipped heartbeats or ‘fluttering’
- fainting
- shortness of breath
- pain when breathing.
Low risk of developing myocarditis or pericarditis
The risk of developing myocarditis or pericarditis is very low.
In the US, reported rates in males were 10 cases per million after first doses, and 67 cases per million after second doses. The TGA is monitoring the risk in the Australian population.
The risk in children aged 5 to 11 years is not yet known. The clinical trial in children aged 5 to 11 years did not have enough participants to assess rates of myocarditis or pericarditis following the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine,
but no specific safety concerns have been identified so far from millions of doses of this vaccine administered overseas to children aged 5 to 11 years. The benefits of vaccination outweigh this very rare risk, and vaccination is still recommended for all eligible age groups.
Fact sheets
We have printableguidance on myocarditis and pericarditis after mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
The Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre has a page onmyocarditis and pericarditisthat includes an explanatory video.
Injection technique unlikely to cause myocarditis
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) does not consider injection technique to cause adverse events because most myocarditis cases occur after the second dose. If accidentally injecting into a blood vessel was a factor, cases would occur equally after both doses.
Risks and benefits
Thebenefits of vaccinationwith Pfizer greatly outweigh the risk of side effects.
People who are not recommended to have the Pfizer vaccine
It's not recommended that you have the Pfizer vaccine if you have had:
- a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a previous dose of the vaccine
- anaphylaxis after exposure to any component of the vaccine, including polyethylene glycol (PEG)
- myocarditis and/or pericarditis attributed to a previous dose of the vaccine
- any other serious adverse event attributed to a previous dose of the vaccine.
