Both the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is safe for use in children ages 12 and up.Trials for other COVID-19 vaccines in this age group are ongoing .
Pharmaceutical company Pfizer and biotechnology company BioNTech said Friday they have requested to have their coronavirus vaccine licensed for children ages 5 to 11 across the European Union. If EU regulators agree, it would be the first opportunity for younger children in Europe to get immunized against COVID-19.
Pfizer and BioNTech said they submitted data to the European Medicines Agency, including late-stage results from a study testing their COVID-19 vaccine in more than 2,200 children ages 6 months to 11 years. The children received a lower dose than what’s normally given to adults. The companies said in a statement that the results showed a “strong immune response” in the children and that the vaccine was also found to be safe.
The CDC encourages all people aged 12 and up to receive their vaccine. The WHO says the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe for people aged 12 years and above and that children who are 12-15 and at high risk “may be offered this vaccine alongside other priority groups.”
