EU OKAYS PFIZER VACCINE FOR KIDS AGED 12-15

Berlin, May 28: The European Medicines Agency on Friday recommended that the use of the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech be expanded to children ages

12 to 15, a decision that offers younger and less atrisk populations across the continent access to a

Covid-19 shot for the first time.

The vaccine was the first one granted authorisation across the European Union when it was licensed for use in anyone

16 and over in December. So far, about 173 million doses of the shot have been administered in the

27-nation bloc, about three quarters of the total given.

“Extending the protection of a safe and effective vaccine in this younger population is an important step forward in the fight against this pandemic,” said Marco Cavaleri, who heads the EMA body that reviewed the vaccine.

The EU regulator had received the necessary data to authorize the vaccine for younger teens and found it to be highly effective against infection, he said. In a study involving

2,000 adolescents in the United States, none of those who received the vaccine got Covid-19.

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