THE HAGUE (AFP) – On Thursday, the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine was approved in Europe for children aged five to eleven, paving the path for immunisation in a cohort where the virus is rapidly expanding.

A panel of experts “suggested awarding an extension of indication for the Covid-19 vaccination Comirnaty to cover usage in children aged five to eleven,” according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

In the EU’s 27 member states, the vaccine has already been approved for use in persons aged 12 and up.

Pfizer’s vaccine has only been licenced in a few countries, including the United States, Israel, and Canada, for children aged five to eleven.

The EMA stated that children aged five to eleven will get one-third of the amount provided to adults, with two injections spaced three weeks apart.

The vaccination is safe and effective.

In a study of nearly 2,000 children of that age, the vaccination was shown to be 90.7 percent effective. Soreness in the injection site, exhaustion, headache, muscular pain, and chills were all “mild to moderate” side effects that lasted a few days.

“As a result,” the EMA stated, “the advantages of Comirnaty outweigh the risks in children aged five to eleven, particularly in those with diseases that increase the risk of severe Covid-19.”

Authorities in the Netherlands, where the EMA is located, said earlier this week that youngsters under the age of 12 had seen the greatest spike in cases.

Pfizer and Moderna, who employ messenger RNA technology, and AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, which use viral vector technology, have all been licenced for use in the EU.

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