Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech are requesting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expand emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 12-15.
Pfizer said Friday that it plans to request similar rulings by other regulatory authorities worldwide in coming days. They are aiming to have this age group vaccinated in time for school in the fall.
Recommended Videos
“Pending regulatory decision, our hope is to make this vaccine available to the 12-15-year-old age group before the start of the 2021 school year,” reads a statement from Pfizer.
BREAKING: Today, with @BioNTech_Group, we submitted a request to US FDA to expand emergency use of our COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents 12 to 15 years of age. pic.twitter.com/AHjc2khnUj
— Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) April 9, 2021
Right now, the Pfizer/BioNTech two-dose vaccine is authorized for use in people as young as 16. The U.K. and U.S. gave the emergency green light to roll out Pfizer’s vaccine late last year followed by many other countries. The vaccine maker announced April 1 that its vaccine continues to be effective against COVID-19 up to six months later.
The United States has administered more than 90 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine as of 6 a.m. Thursday, April 8, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Read: 9-year-old twins first participants in Pfizer vaccine trial for children