Pfizer Inc and BioNTech have asked US regulators to approve their vaccine for kids as young as five as the number of cases among young people soars.
Pfizer took to Twitter to say they have asked US Food and Drug Administration to okay their jab for kids aged between five and 11 to prevent the virus from spreading further. There's no indication yet whether they will make the same request in the UK.
It comes amid a spike in the number of Covid infections among younger people in the US, with them hitting the highest point in the pandemic in early September, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The FDA has set a date of Oct 26 for outside advisers to meet and discuss the Pfizer application, making it possible for
kids to begin receiving the vaccines shortly afterwards.
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A rapid authorisation could help mitigate a potential surge of cases this fall, with schools already open nationwide.
The vaccine, which is already authorised in 12 to 15 year olds and fully approved for ages 16 and up, has been shown to induce a strong immune response in the target age group in a 2,268 participant clinical trial, the companies said on September 20.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorised in kids aged 12-15 roughly a month after the companies filed for authorisation.
While kids are less susceptible to severe COVID-19, they can spread the virus to others, including vulnerable populations that are more at risk of severe illness.
In the UK one dose of the jab was approved for kids aged 12 and over in mid-September.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers at the time recommended a "universal" rollout of the Pfizer jab to children aged 12 to 15 after judging it will help prevent schools chaos over winter.
All UK over-16s are already able to get the jab, with 16 and 17-year-olds getting an "initial" one dose instead of two.
Under previous rules, 12-15s could only get it if they were in vulnerable groups.
The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will be asked to give further advice on whether 12-15s should get a second dose, but this advice is not expected before Christmas.
