Pfizer vaccine trial shows its safe for children under 11: What you need to know

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Pfizer Inc and partner firm BioNTech said today that their vaccine is safe for children under the age of 11, as proven by the trial conducted by the firm. The trial showed that the vaccine produced strong antibody responses in children ages 5 to 11.

This result comes at a time where major nations like the US is facing pressure to immunize kids as the infection rate among the young population is on the rise.

The company said, ’In a trial with 2,268 participants, two shots of a 10 microgram dose -- one-third the adult shot -- produced antibody levels comparable to those seen in a trial of 16-to-25-year-olds who got the adult dose with similar side effects.’

Pfizer said that this result will "provide a strong foundation” for seeking authorization from health regulators around the globe so that their vaccine can be rolled out for children. This data will be submitted to health regulatory bodies in the US and Europe soon. The company also said that they have planned to submit the full data from the trial for publication in a scientific journal.

The senior vice president of vaccine clinical research and development at Pfizer, Bill Gruber said, "This is really great news. We have been able to demonstrate a robust immune response as well as a satisfactory safety profile for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children five to 11 years of age.”

Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted a plan to add 2,250 more children between the ages of 5 and 11 to their pediatric studies in the US.