BioNTech's CEO Ugur Sahin told the news magazine Der Spiegel
that the company was "in the final stretches" of preparing its
submission for European regulatory approval.
The evaluation "takes four to six weeks on
average", he said in an interview published on Thursday, adding that the
vaccine should be available to 12 to 15-year-olds in Europe by June.
Is it really necessary to vaccinate kids?
While young people are less likely to suffer severe cases of
COVID-19, they are more likely to have an asymptomatic infection, unwittingly
transmitting the virus to others.
The vaccination of children is seen as the next important
step in achieving herd immunity and ending the pandemic.
Having older children vaccinated before the start of the
next school year would also relieve the pressure on parents struggling with the
demands of homeschooling.
"It's very important to enable children a return to
their normal school lives and allow them to meet with family and friends,"
Sahin told Spiegel.
The manufacturers announced in March that the final phase
clinical trials of their vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds showed it was 100%
effective at preventing the disease.
Timeline for more vaccines
BioNTech and its partner Pfizer have already applied for
authorization for the vaccine for 12 to 15 year-olds in the United States.
Teenagers over the age of 16 can already take the two-shot vaccine that is
available for adults.
However, the companies are also keen to obtain approval for
a vaccine for younger children.
Results from clinical tests should be available on a vaccine
for children aged 5 to 12 by July. Figures for a jab for younger children, aged
6 months and upwards, should be on hand by September.
"If all goes well, as soon as the data is evaluated, we
will be able to submit the application for approval of the vaccine for all
children in the respective age group in different countries," he said.
Sahin said that current trials for younger age groups were
"very encouraging" with figures suggesting "children are very
well protected by the vaccine."
Easier-to-use version on the way
BioNTech-Pfizer's Comirnaty vaccine uses novel messenger RNA
technology to program cells to generate immunity to the virus.
The current version of the vaccine used in adults must be
stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit). This has
limited its distribution to specially equipped vaccination centers.
However, Pfizer last week said it was planning a new version
of Comirnaty that can be stored in a standard freezer and comes diluted and
ready for use.
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