BioNTech – Vaccine trial results for babies expected by September
BioNTech expects results by September from trials testing the COVID-19 vaccine that it and Pfizer have developed in babies as young as six months old, German magazine Spiegel cited the company’s CEO as saying.
“In July, the first results could be available for the five to 12 year olds, in September for the younger children,” BioNTech Chief Executive Ugur Sahin told Spiegel. He added it takes about four to six weeks to evaluate the data.
The Pfizer-BioNTech two-shot vaccine is already authorised for use in those aged 16 and above. Young people are less likely to suffer severe cases of Covid-19 and are more likely to have asymptomatic infection, allowing them to unwittingly transmit Covid-19 to others.
BioNTech and Pfizer asked US regulators this month to approve the emergency use of their vaccine for adolescents aged 12 to 15. A trial published at the end of March found the companies’ COVID-19 vaccine was safe, effective and produces robust antibody responses in adolescents.
