Biontech/Pfizer wants to test the third dose in young children

Biontech and Pfizer now also want to investigate a third dose of the vaccine for children ages 5 to 12.

Biontech/Pfizer plans to add a third dose to the ongoing clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine for children aged six months to four years. The companies announced Friday that a third dose will now be screened, which will be taken two months after the second at the earliest. Expected results for this year or the beginning of next are likely to be delayed, and companies are now forecasting “the first half of 2022”.

The decision was made because preliminary data showed that children aged two to five years did not respond to vaccination as much as adolescents and adults aged 16 and over and as children between six and 24 months. She added that no safety concerns were found. According to the company, about 4,500 children between the ages of six months and eleven years from several countries are participating in the study.

The vaccine is now approved for children from the age of five in the USA and the European Union, among other countries. Biontech and Pfizer now also want to investigate a third dose of the vaccine for children ages 5 to 12.

(APA/DBA)