Xinhua
25 Nov 2021, 21:35 GMT+10
Study showed that the vaccine was 90.7 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. The EMA concluded that the benefits of Comirnaty in children aged 5 to 11 outweigh the risks, particularly in those with conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19.
THE HAGUE, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Thursday recommended the use of COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty developed by BioNTech and Pfizer for children aged 5 to 11.
The vaccine is already approved for use in adults and children aged 12 and above.
In children from 5 to 11 years of age, the dose of Comirnaty will be lower than that used in people aged 12 and above, the drug agency of the European Union (EU) said in a statement, adding that as in the older age group, it is given as two injections in the muscles of the upper arm, three weeks apart.
A main study in children aged 5 to 11 showed that the immune response to Comirnaty given at a lower dose in this age group was comparable to that seen with the higher dose in 16- to 25-year-olds, as measured by the level of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the EMA said.
The efficacy of Comirnaty was calculated in almost 2,000 children from 5 to 11 years of age who had no sign of previous infection, it said.
Study showed that the vaccine was 90.7 percent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. The most common side effects in children aged 5 to 11 are similar to those in people aged 12 and above.
They include pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, redness and swelling at the site of injection, muscle pain and chills. These effects are usually mild or moderate and improve within a few days of vaccination.
The EMA concluded that the benefits of Comirnaty in children aged 5 to 11 outweigh the risks, particularly in those with conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19.
The safety and efficacy of the vaccine in both children and adults will continue to be monitored closely as it is used in vaccination campaigns in EU member states as well as in ongoing and additional studies conducted by the company and by European authorities, it added.
Get a daily dose of Germany Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Germany Sun.
More InformationDUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland has been praised for taking the lead with a law that would ban imports from Israeli-occupied territories....
PARIS, France: French military and intelligence officials have accused China of orchestrating a covert campaign to damage the reputation...
HONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...
Brussels [Belgium], July 11 (ANI/WAM): EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs will hold a meeting next Monday in Brussels, to be chaired by...
London [UK], July 11 (ANI): Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj paid a tribute to late Liverpool, Portugal footballer Diogo Jota following...
BRUSSELS, 11th July, 2025 (WAM) -- EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs will hold a meeting next Monday in Brussels, to be chaired by Kaja...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Irish Rail incurred over 26,000 euros in damages due to a series of graffiti incidents carried out by a 24-year-old...
SLUBICE, Poland: Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania on July 7, following Germany's earlier reintroduction...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expressed cautious optimism that the European Union and the United States can strike...
ZAGREB, Croatia: A massive concert by popular Croatian singer Marko Perković, known by his stage name Thompson, has drawn widespread...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Despite extreme heat gripping much of mainland Europe, Irish holidaymakers are pressing ahead with their travel plans,...
HONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...