Pfizer starting test of COVID-19 vaccine in children under 12

Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Tuesday that they will begin to test the effectiveness of their coronavirus vaccine in children younger than 12.

According to Reuters, the companies will conduct a study among nearly 4,500 children across more than 90 clinical sites located in the United States, Poland, Spain and Finland. The study will also follow a specific dosing regimen for certain age groups.

The companies plan to give children between the ages of 5 and 11 a dose of 10 micrograms and children and infants ages 6 months to 5 years a dose of 3 micrograms, the news outlet reported.

In March, Pfizer and BioNTech found their COVID-19 vaccine to be 100 percent effective in children ages 12 to 15. In a clinical trial of 2,260 adolescents, the vaccine was found to generate robust antibody responses.

Last month, the Food and Drug Administration authorized the companies’ vaccine to be administered to children ages 12 to 15 in a move that was considered to be a key step in allowing students to return to school for in-person learning.

Pfizer and BioNTech’s move toward being able to inoculate children as young as 6 months is considered to be a major step toward reaching herd immunity and further curbing the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters reported.