Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech asked regulators in the United States to allow the use of its COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, Pfizer said in a tweet on Thursday. If regulators agree, shots could begin within a matter of weeks.
The application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comes as COVID-19 infections have soared in children, hitting their highest point in the pandemic in early September, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The FDA has set a date of Oct. 26 for outside advisers to meet and discuss the Pfizer application, making it possible for kids to begin receiving the vaccines shortly afterward.
A rapid authorization could help mitigate a potential surge of cases this fall, with schools already open nationwide.
The vaccine, which is already authorized in 12 to 15-year-olds and fully approved for ages 16 and up, has been shown to induce a strong immune response in the target age group in a 2,268-participant clinical trial, the companies said on Sept. 20.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized in kids aged 12-15 roughly a month after the companies filed for authorization.
While kids are less susceptible to severe COVID-19, they can spread the virus to others, including vulnerable populations that are more at risk of severe illness.
Please click to read our informative text prepared pursuant to the Law on the Protection of Personal Data No. 6698 and to get information about the cookies used on our website in accordance with the relevant legislation.
6698 sayılı Kişisel Verilerin Korunması Kanunu uyarınca hazırlanmış aydınlatma metnimizi okumak ve sitemizde ilgili mevzuata uygun olarak kullanılan çerezlerle ilgili bilgi almak için lütfen tıklayınız.
