The corona vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech can also be given to children aged 5 to 11 years, the two companies say after clinical trials.
The vaccine is not harmful to their health, and the subjects make antibodies, which means that the vaccine trains their immune system for a real infection.
Pfizer and BioNTech announced the results of the trials on Monday. Nearly 2,300 children received two doses of 10 micrograms each of the vaccines. That is less than in people aged 12 and older. They receive 30 micrograms per shot. Despite the lower dose, children aged 11 years and younger made as many antibodies as 16 to 25-year-olds. In addition, the side effects were mild.
“These research results provide strong support for the application to approve our vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years old,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. Therefore, the company wants to submit the application as soon as possible to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the regulator for the European market, and the American regulator FDA.
Pfizer and BioNTech are also researching the effect of the vaccine on children aged 6 months to 5 years. That group receives 3 micrograms of vaccine per shot, so one-tenth of the dose that people over 12 receive.