Pfizer Says COVID Vaccine Works For Kids Ages 5 To 11

Children under the age of 12 will soon be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Pfizer says it’s COVID vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11.

The vaccine maker said today it plans to seek authorization for that age group in the United States and Europe soon.

“Over the past nine months, hundreds of millions of people ages 12 and older from around the world have received our COVID-19 vaccine. We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children,” said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer. “Since July, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the U.S. – underscoring the public health need for vaccination. These trial results provide a strong foundation for seeking authorization of our vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulators with urgency.”

Pfizer studied  a lower dose of its two-dose vaccine in more than 2,000 kindergarten and elementary school-aged children.

Pfizer says the COVID-19 vaccine was well tolerated, with side effects generally comparable to those observed in participants 16 to 25 years of age.

“We are pleased to be able to submit data to regulatory authorities for this group of school-aged children before the start of the winter season,” said Dr. Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech. “The safety profile and immunogenicity data in children aged 5 to 11 years vaccinated at a lower dose are consistent with those we have observed with our vaccine in other older populations at a higher dose.”

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech is already available for anyone 12 and older.