Pfizer and BioNTech asked the Food and Drug Administration Friday to extend emergency use authorization of their COVID vaccine to adolescents aged 12-15 years.
Why it matters: The permit would broaden vaccination efforts and accelerate the country’s race for immunity to herds, a goal that will eventually require teens and children to be vaccinated as well.
The big picture: A trial with more than 2,200 children between the ages of 12 and 15 found that the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine was 100% effective at protecting against the coronavirus.
- “All over the world, we long for a normal life. This is especially true for our children,” said Ugur Sahin, CEO and Co-Founder of BioNTech in March.
- Pfizer and BioNTech announced last month that the first doses were being administered in a trial for children aged 6 months to 11 years.
Go deeper: The pandemic toll on teens