Pfizer announced on Friday that they are planning to have their vaccine for children under five ready to submit for approval in the next six months.
The company is currently testing a third dose for children two to four years old and plans to have it ready in the “first half of 2022,” according to their statement.
“The decision to evaluate a third dose of 3 µg for children 6 months to under 5 years of age reflects the companies’ commitment to carefully select the right dose to maximize the risk-benefit profile,” Pfizer and BioNTech said in the statement. “If the three-dose study is successful, Pfizer and BioNTech expect to submit data to regulators to support an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for children 6 months to under 5 years of age in the first half of 2022.”
The two-shot set of doses for younger children had failed to meet the standard for immune response set by the amounts for other children, hence testing a third.
“The abrupt alteration in the trial is a sign of the unexpected power of the coronavirus against vaccine immunity, making it look more like three-shot regimens will become the standard fare of the future. Pfizer and BioNTech will also evaluate the third dose among other age groups as the omicron variant weakens the potency of their vaccine,” Bloomberg reports.
The company said that the third dose for the age group is 3-micrograms. They are also testing a ten microgram third dose for children 5-12 years old and a study of 10 or 30 micrograms doses for 12 to 17.
“Control of omicron may only be possible with three or more doses,” said Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer’s head of vaccine research and development, in an investor conference call on Friday, according to their report.
The pharmaceutical company previously tried to get a vaccine for younger children approved by the end of 2021.
