Pfizer asks to OK Covid vaccine for younger teens

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech on Friday asked the Food and Drug Administration to greenlight its coronavirus vaccine for use in children 12 to 15 years old, just one week after the companies said a late-stage trial showed the vaccine was highly effective in this age group.

If U.S. regulators clear the request, it would make Pfizer’s shot the first to become available to younger teens. The move could also speed the timeline for getting more students back into school and curb costly safety measures being considered by education systems.

Of the three vaccines already in use in the United States, Pfizer’s shot is the only one now authorized for 16- and 17-year-olds.