The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering lowering the age limit for the Pfizer/BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine early next week. Jabs for children in the 12 to 15 age group could get a nod from the federal agency, a government official told CNN.

This development comes weeks after Pfizer had applied for emergency use authorisation for its coronavirus vaccine for children in the specified age bracket. 

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“The FDA will have to amend the emergency use authorisation for the vaccine, but the process should be straightforward,” said the official according to CNN.

The Federal agency is currently reviewing the data submitted by Pfizer. The vaccine manufacturer said at the end of March that a clinical trial involving 2,260 12-to-15-year-olds showed its efficacy is 100% and it is well-tolerated, CNN reports.

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The FDA held meetings of its independent Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee to review the data. Only after a nod, the data will be granted the Emergency Usage Authorization. 

 The vaccine is currently authorized in the US for emergency use in people 16 and older. More than 200 million people in the country have received vaccinations.