Pfizer/BioNTech said they will seek authorisation to administer the vaccine to this age group in time for the next school year.
ADVERTISEMENTA coronavirus vaccine has proven to be 100% effective in youngsters aged 12 to 15, according to the manufacturers.
Phase 3 trials involving 2,260 children in the United States "demonstrated 100% efficacy and robust antibody responses," Pfizer/BioNTech said in a statement on Wednesday.
They said they hope to begin vaccinating this age group before the next school year, and will seek authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency to expand the use of the vaccine.
Currently the vaccine only has emergency use approval for those over the age of 16.
The vaccine "demonstrated 100% efficacy and robust antibody responses, exceeding those reported in trial of vaccinated 16-25 year old participants in an earlier analysis, and was well tolerated," the statement continued.
The companies are continuing with testing younger age groups, on children aged 5 to 11, two to five, and 6 months to 2 years.
“Across the globe, we are longing for a normal life. This is especially true for our children. The initial results we have seen in the adolescent studies suggest that children are particularly well protected by vaccination, which is
The strong protection shown against the virus in children is "very encouraging given the trends we have seen in recent weeks regarding the spread of the B.1.1.7 UK variant" said Ugur Sahin, CEO and Co-founder of BioNTech.
The The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was the first to be approved in the West, and has since been used in millions of adults in over 65 countries.
A field study of 1.2 million people in Israel showed it was 94% effective.
BioNTech said on Tuesday it expects to manufacture 2.5 billion doses of its vaccine this year, 25% more than originally planned.