Vaccine for children

Pfizer and BioNTech have urged US authorities to approve a coronavirus vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years, according to a statement published on Pfizer's website on Tuesday.

Pfizer's Albert Bourla said that because of the increase in hospitalisations in children under five years of age due to COVID-19, the overall aim of Pfizier and the FDA is to prepare for future versions of COVID-19, and also to enable parents to protect their children from infection.

"If we get approval for two doses, parents will have the opportunity to start vaccinating their children against COVID-19 while waiting for approval for the third dose," Bourla added.

If approved by the FDA, it will be used in age groups designated by the US Federal Center for Disease Control (CDC). The Washington Post reported earlier that the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines could be available for children under the age of five years old by the end of this month.

The FDA said it would convene a group of independent researchers and doctors in mid-February to help analyse Pfizer's data. The agency is not obliged to follow their advice, but their involvement is a key step in publicly testing the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.