In a statement Friday, the two pharmaceuticals said their
submission to the European Medicines Agency is based on an advanced study in
more than 2,000 adolescents that showed their vaccine to be safe and effective.
The children will continue to be monitored for longer-term protection and
safety for another two years.
BioNTech and Pfizer have previously requested their
emergency use authorization with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also be
extended to children 12 to 15 years old.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn welcomed the news that the
vaccine might soon get the green light for older children.
“This can make a further real difference to our vaccine
campaign, if approval is granted,” he said on the sidelines of a visit to a
vaccine manufacturing plant in the German town of Reinbek.
Most COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out worldwide are for
adults, who are at higher risk from the coronavirus. But vaccinating children
of all ages will be critical to stopping the pandemic, especially since some
research has shown that older children may play a role in spreading the virus.
Children represent about 13% of COVID-19 cases documented in
the U.S. And while children are far less likely than adults to get seriously
ill, at least 268 have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. alone and more than
13,500 have been hospitalized, according to a tally by the American Academy of
Pediatrics. That’s more than die from the flu in an average year. A small
number have also developed a serious inflammatory condition linked to the
coronavirus.
Immunizing children against COVID-19 might also give
authorities more confidence in reopening schools, since getting children to
comply with physical distancing and mask-wearing has sometimes been
challenging.
Other COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers including AstraZeneca,
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are also studying whether their shots can
safely be used in children.
The COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech was the
first one to be granted a greenlight by the EMA last December, when it was
licensed for anyone 16 and over across the 27-nation EU bloc. -AFP