Drugmaker Pfizer has requested the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) to administer their COVID-19 vaccine on kids ages 12 to 15 in the United States.
The request seeks to amend the Emergency Use Authorization originally granted vaccine which is currently available for ages 16 and up, NBC News reported.
The move to expand the use of the vaccine could be the crucial step to achieve herd immunity, according to experts.
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Phase 3 clinical trials of the vaccine developed by Pfizer showed that it was 100 percent safe and effective to the adolescent group.
The said clinical trial is not yet peer-reviewed.
The company in a press release said the vaccine is “well tolerated with side effects generally consistent with those observed in participants 16 to 25 years of age.”
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“The hope of starting to vaccinate this age group before the start of the next school year,” CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement.
Pfizer is also doing clinical trials to determine if their vaccine works on children 6 to 11 years old. (RA)
