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Why is this important: Pfizer said it would seek approval in the coming weeks from the Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency to market the vaccine to adolescents. This suggests that at least one coronavirus vaccine may be available for young teens before the start of the new school year in the fall.
Last week, companies launched a global study to test the vaccine in children aged 6 months to 11 years.
Context: The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is one of three vaccines authorized for use in adults in the United States, and the only one that the FDA has approved for use in adolescents aged 16 and 17.
The FDA gave the green light to the vaccine’s use in December after an advanced-stage trial of 44,000 people aged 16 and older found it to be 95% effective. A study released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed the vaccine to be 90% effective in a real-world setting – in this case, among healthcare workers, first responders and other essential workers.
And after: Pfizer and BioNTech, which have not published detailed data on their study in adolescents, also said they plan to submit their findings to a peer-reviewed scientific journal for publication.
The companies said their trial in children 11 and under would start dosing participants ages 2 to 5 next week.
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