(Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s committee of outside experts will weigh in on authorisation of Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in children aged 5-11.
The panel’s vote to the FDA on Tuesday is an important regulatory step toward inoculating millions of children in the United States, where schools are largely open for in-person learning.
The FDA is not mandated follow the advice of its outside experts, but usually does.
But with many parts of the world still awaiting doses for more vulnerable people, the World Health Organisation has urged countries and companies that control the global supply of the vaccines to prioritize supply to COVAX.
The following is a list of some countries that have approved or are considering vaccinating children:
EU COUNTRIES
* On Oct. 18, the EU’s medicines regulator said it had started evaluating the use of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine in 5 to 11-year-old children.
* In June, Denmark said it would offer COVID-19 shots to children aged 12-15 to boost its overall immunity against the virus.
* France has started vaccinating those from 12 years upwards, provided they have parental consent.
* Germany in August agreed to make vaccination available to all children aged 12-17.
* Austria has started vaccinating children aged 12-15.
* Estonia could start vaccinating teenagers by the autumn, public broadcaster ERR reported, citing the head of the government’s COVID-19 council.
* Hungary started vaccinating 16 to 18-year-olds in mid-May, according to Xinhua news agency.
* Italy on May 31 approved extending the use of Pfizer’s vaccine to 12-15 year olds.
* Lithuania’s prime minister said the country could start vaccinating children from age 12 in June, news site Delfi reported.
* Spain begun vaccinating children between 12 and 17 years old around two weeks before the academic year in September, the health minister said.
* Swedish PM says children aged 12-15 will be offered COVID vaccine later this autumn.
* Greece in July said children aged 12-15 could be vaccinated against COVID-19 with Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna shots.
* Finland’s capital Helsinki in June said it will begin giving COVID-19 vaccines to children aged 12 to 15 who are at risk of contracting a severe coronavirus infection.
* On July 27, Ireland lowered the age for COVID-19 vaccination to 12 years.
* Poland started offering COVID-19 vaccines to children of ages 12-15.
EUROPE (NON-EU)
* Britain’s top medical advisers in September recommended that 12 to 15-year-olds receive a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
* Switzerland approved on June 4 vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds with Pfizer’s shot, while Moderna’s shot was approved in August for the age group.
* In September, Norway started to offer one dose of Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 12 to 15
* San Marino has opened vaccinations for children aged 12-15, reported San Marino RTV, citing its Institute for Social Security.
MIDDLE EAST
* In August, Israel on Sunday began offering a COVID-19 booster to children as young as 12.
* The United Arab Emirates said in August rolled out China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 3-17.
* Bahrain approved Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 3-11 from Oct. 27.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Indonesia on June 28 recommended China’s Sinovac vaccine for children aged 12-17.
* An advisory committee to the Indian regulator recommended emergency use of Bharat Biotech’s COVID-19 shot in the 2 to 18 age-group. The regulator’s nod is awaited.
* New Zealand’s medicines regulator has provisionally approved use of Pfizer’s vaccine for 12-15 year olds, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on June 21.
* Australia said on Sept. 12 it will expand its COVID-19 vaccination drive to include around one million children aged 12-15.
* China on June 5 approved emergency use of Sinovac’s vaccine for those between three and 17.
* Hong Kong said on June 3 it would open its vaccine scheme to children over the age of 12.
* Singapore opened up its vaccination programme to adolescents aged 12-18 from June 1.
* Japan on May 28 approved the use of Pfizer’s vaccine for those aged 12 and above.
* The Philippines on May 26 decided to allow the Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for emergency use in children aged 12-15.
* Jordan in July begun vaccinating children aged 12 years and older against COVID-19.
AMERICAS
* The COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer-BioNTech will be the only one used in Mexico for at-risk children aged 12-17.
* Brazil on June 11 approved use of Pfizer’s vaccine for children over 12.
* On Sept. 6, Chile approved the COVID-19 vaccine produced by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd for use in children over 6 years of age.
* Pfizer and BioNTech are seeking clearance for a 10 microgram dose version of the vaccine in children aged 5-11, versus 30 mg for everyone over the age of 12. The shot has been authorized for ages 12-15 since May and cleared for everyone over 16 since December.
* Canada in early May approved use of Pfizer’s vaccine for use in children aged 12-15. On Oct. 18, Health Canada received a submission from Pfizer/Biontech to authorize the use of shot in children between 5 and 11 years of age.
* Cuba’s vaccination campaign includes children as young as two.
* On Sept. 13, El Salvador cleared the use of COVID-19 vaccine in 6 to 11-year-old children. (https://bit.ly/30RiKe7)
AFRICA
* South Africa will start vaccinating children between the ages of 12 and 17 next week using the Pfizer vaccine
(Compiled by Sarah Morland, Olivier Cherfan, Juliette Portala, Caleb Davis and Laura Marchioro in Gdansk; Dania Nadeem and Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; Editing by Ankur Banerjee, Anil D’Silva and Shinjini Ganguli)
