Pfizer on Friday requested that the Food and Drug Administration approve the emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15, according to the company.
The pharmaceutical firm, and its counterpart BioNTech, wants the agency to greenlight the jabs for older kids based on data showing the vaccine is 100 percent effective in the age group, according to a press release from the firm.
“These requests are based on data from the pivotal Phase 3 trial in adolescents 12 to 15 years of age with or without prior evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which demonstrated 100 percent efficacy and robust antibody response after vaccination with the COVID-19 Vaccine,” the press release states.
“These submissions represent a critical step in Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s ongoing efforts to support governments in broadening global vaccination efforts.”
If the FDA approves, doses of the vaccine could become available in less than a month — raising hopes that kids will receive the shots in time for the next school year.
In December, the FDA approved the emergency use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for adults, clearing the way for a first wave of jabs in the US.
Pfizer last month announced that the vaccine is 100 percent effective in children 12 to 15 and that side effects are “well tolerated” by the age group.
