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Pfizer says its jab is 100% effective on younger teens
The vaccine maker and its partner BioNTech will submit the data to regulators in the US and Europe.
Pfizer has said that its Covid-19 vaccine was 100% effective in a final-stage trial in children aged 12 to 15 years, a finding that could pave the way for teens and pre-teens to get shots before the next school year.
The vaccine is already authorised in the US for people aged 16 and above. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said they planned to submit the data to regulators in the US and Europe as soon as possible, seeking to amend their vaccine authorisations to include the younger age group.
In the study of 2,260 adolescents, the vaccine produced antibodies against Covid-19 that exceeded the level seen in vaccinated young adults, Pfizer and BioNTech said. All 18 cases of Covid in the study were in adolescents who were administered a placebo, the companies said.
EU: No risk from AZ shot
Experts probing links between the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots have found no specific risk factors, including age, the EU’s drug regulator said. The European Medicines Agency said its safety committee is expected to issue an “updated recommendation” on the vaccine next week.
WHO nod for China jabs
Two Chinese jabs are safe and effective, WHO experts said after reviewing partial data. Experts at the WHO didn’t issue any advice on how to use the jabs, saying they’ll wait until a decision was taken on granting them emergency licences. The experts said the vaccines from Sinovac and Sinopharm “lacked data” for older age groups.
Covid vaccine for animals
Russia has registered the world’s first Covid vaccine for animals, saying it’s needed for disrupting mutations. Russia said the vaccine has been tested on dogs, cats, mink and foxes.
