The European authorities have just authorized the vaccination of 12-15 year olds with Pfizer-BioNTech serum. While other countries are already vaccinating children, where is France?
This Friday, April 28, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12-15 year olds. This is the first vaccine against Covid-19 authorized by the European Union for children. At a press conference, Marco Cavaleri, head of vaccine strategy at the EMA, stressed that the serum was “well tolerated” by adolescents and that there was “no major concerns” regarding the possible side effects of the injection.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is already in use in the United States and Canada in children aged 12 to 15 and, on Thursday, Germany announced that it would open the vaccination from the age of 12 as of June 7. . While the serum is already used among young people in several countries, will France soon expand vaccination to children?
This is not said, because it is necessary above all to wait for the authorization of the Haute Autorité de Santé. Subsequently, the government will have to decide to include children and adolescents in the vaccination strategy. However, Emmanuel Macron announced that this would not be done until vulnerable people were vaccinated.
After the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Moderna’s vaccine may well follow and will also soon be authorized for children in the European Union. The boss of the American company has indeed announced to Sunday newspaper that a request would be filed with the competent authorities “early June”. He wants the authorization to be given for 12-17 year olds.