SEOUL, 23 Feb. (Yonhap) — The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has authorized the use of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine from global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. for children aged 5 to 11.
The ministry had convened a panel of local and foreign experts to review the safety and effectiveness of the two-dose regimen after reviewing Pfizer’s clinical studies.
This is the first time the ministry has allowed the use of a Covid-19 vaccine for this age group. He said the vaccine was revealed to be 90.7% effective for 5-11 year olds.
In addition, the safety was studied in 3,109 children aged 5 to 11 who received the vaccine and no serious side effects were reported.
The side effects seen in the studies were generally mild or moderate and disappeared a few days after inoculation, the ministry explained.
The two doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be given three weeks apart. A dose of 10 micrograms is intended for ages 5-11 while those 12 years and older receive a dose of 30 micrograms.