EU regulator gives go-ahead to first COVID shot for 5-11 year olds
(VOVWORLD) - The EU's drug regulator approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of five and 11 on Thursday, paving the way for them to be given a first shot as Europe struggles with a surge in cases.
 A health worker receives a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Madrid, Spain, February 4, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS) |
The approval comes as Europe is again the epicentre of the pandemic again, accounting for about half of cases and deaths. Inoculating children and young people, who can unwittingly transmit COVID-19 to others, is considered a critical step towards taming the pandemic.
In Germany and the Netherlands, kids now account for the majority of cases.
Pfizer and BioNTech have said their vaccine showed 90.7% efficacy against the coronavirus in a clinical trial of children aged 5 to 11.