SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A 4S Ranch teen who participated in a Pfizer vaccine study is speaking out after clinical results were released Wednesday.
A waiting room photo shows then 15-year-old Kyle Sullivan and his mom in December, right before he got his first dose while participating in a Pfizer COVID vaccine study for teens ages 12 to 15.
"A little stomach ache, headache, and a bit of a fever," said Sullivan.
Sullivan suffered a day of side effects after each of the doses. The study was recently unblinded, and he learned he did in fact, receive the vaccine. The results of the study were released Wednesday. Pfizer and BioNTech says in the trial of more than 2,200 participants, the vaccine's efficacy was 100% and it was well tolerated in the teens.
"Definitely hope will help turn stuff return back to normal. If it's 100% effective, then a lot more likely people will get to go back to school soon," said Sullivan.
Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital, says while the 100% efficacy may dip with a larger sample size, the results are impressive.
"Given the levels of virus-neutralizining antibodies we're seeing in adolescents, it's going to be a pretty damn good vaccine … I think there is some urgency to do this by the fall, so over the summer, I wouldn't be surprised to see adolescents getting vaccinated," said Dr. Hotez.
"Encouraging everyone I know to get it," said Sullivan.
Sullivan, a sophomore at Del Norte High, says with the results, he believes his friends will want the vaccine.
Right now, he’s on a hybrid learning program and hoping for a full return to in-person learning.
“I’m looking forward to it a lot. I will be able to see my friends consistently. I will be able to see my teachers more, and get more help with work … I think it will be a lot better,” said Sullivan.
Pfizer says its will submit the data to the FDA for emergency expansion usage of the vaccine, as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, both Pfizer and Moderna have vaccine studies underway involving children as young as six months old.
