EMA gives green light to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID vaccine for kids aged 5-11

The European Commission is expected to issue a final decision on Friday.

"Today's recommendation (...) is clear the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective for young children, and can offer them additional protection," EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Twitter.

The EMA authorized use of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for children as young as 12 in May this year.

Europe is currently at the epicenter of the pandemic and the World Health Organization has warned the continent could see deaths top 2M by the spring unless urgent measures are taken.

Many EU states are planning nationwide inoculation programs for younger children, although the first of the low-dose paediatric shots will not be delivered until Dec. 20.

Germany will get 2.4M doses with the first shipment, enough to inoculate about half the country's children aged 5-11, a BioNTech spokeswoman said.

Polish Health Ministry spokesman Wojciech Andrusiewicz told Reuters the country is expecting a first batch of 1.1 million doses for the younger age group in December.

The Czech Republic said it expects to get 300,000 doses, which would cover about a fifth of its younger population.

The U.S. signed off on Pfizer’s shots in kids earlier this month, followed by other countries including Canada.

Earlier this month, the EMA said it began evaluating the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 6 to 11.