Pfizer to study COVID-19 vaccine in children under 12

Pfizer Inc said on Tuesday it will start a large study to test its COVID-19 vaccine in children below 12 and selected a dosing regime for the trial.

The study will enroll up to 4,500 children at more than 90 clinical sites in the United States, Finland, Poland and Spain, the company said.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: What we know about the heart reaction reported after COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer’s vaccine has been authorized for use in children as young as 12 in Europe, the United States and Canada.

The company said it has selected a dose of 10 micrograms in children between five and 11 years of age and three micrograms for infants in age-group of six months to five years -old.

Inoculating children and young people is considered a critical step toward reaching “herd immunity” and taming the COVID-19 pandemic.