Younger Children Unlikely To Receive COVID-19 Vaccinations Before 2022

Children aged 5-11 are unlikely to receive a COVID-19 vaccination before the end of 2021 according to Health Minister Greg Hunt. The United States has approved the Pfizer vaccine for this age group, but Australia’s medical regulator is still reviewing the health and safety data. According to Mr Hunt, the final approval will most likely happen early next year.

Pfizer and BioNTech have conducted clinical trials with around 2,200 children in the age group, showing a 90.7% efficacy against COVID-19. However, the trial size is relatively small, and medical regulators are looking to review the real-world data that will be coming out of the United States. If the vaccine is approved for younger children, the government is ready to expand its rollout.