A girl holds a small bottle labeled with a “Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine” sticker and a medical syringe in entrance of a Pfizer emblem. (Image: Reuters)
The Medicines and Healthcare merchandise Regulatory Agency (MHRA) accepted the two-shot jab following medical trials amongst youthful age teams, saying the vaccine had met the “expected standards” of security, high quality and effectiveness.
- AFP London
- Last Updated:June 04, 2021, 16:37 IST
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Britain’s medicines regulator stated Friday the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is secure for adolescents aged 12 to 15 after a “rigorous assessment”, following similar assessments in the European Union and United States.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the two-shot jab following clinical trials among younger age groups, saying the vaccine had met the “expected standards” of security, high quality and effectiveness.
A authorities committee on vaccination will now resolve if and when to start administering doses to the age bracket. So far it has promptly adopted all MHRA rulings on vaccines supplied by Pfizer and different corporations.
“We have fastidiously reviewed medical trial knowledge in youngsters aged 12 to 15 years and have concluded that the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is secure and efficient on this age group and that the advantages of this vaccine outweigh any threat,” MHRA chief executive June Raine said.
“No extension to an authorisation could be accepted except the anticipated requirements of security, high quality and effectiveness have been met.”
Raine added the UK’s surveillance regime for monitoring the safety of all approved Covid-19 vaccines would now include those aged 12 to 15 receiving doses.
The British regulator’s approval follows that of the European Medicines Agency and US Food and Drug Administration last month for the younger cohort to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.
The United States has started administering the vaccine to adolescents, while EU members are set to do so this month.
Britain was the first Western country to start a mass immunisation drive, in December. The government said Thursday that over half of adults had now received both doses of inoculation, mainly the Pfizer or AstraZeneca.
More than three-quarters of adults have received at least a single dose.
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