US authorises Pfizer jab for 12-15 year olds as India outbreak rages The US Food and Drug Administration previously had granted an emergency use authorization for the jab to individuals aged 16 and older. This file picture taken on November 23, 2020 shows a bottle reading Vaccine Covid-19 next to US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech logos. Picture: AFP
one day ago
WASHINGTON - The United States on Monday authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years old, while the devastating outbreak in India raged on.
The US Food and Drug Administration previously had granted an emergency use authorization for the jab to individuals aged 16 and older.
This is a promising development in our fight against the virus, said President Joe Biden.
| 11 May 2021 7:51 AM GMT
Washington- While the devastating outbreak in India continues, the US approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years old on Monday. The US Food and Drug Administration had previously approved the vaccine for emergency use in people aged 16 and up. This is a promising development in our fight against the virus, said President Joe Biden. The B.1.617 variant spreading in India, however, has been classified as a variant of concern at the global level by the World Health Organization in Geneva.
WORLD / ASIA-PACIFIC
US authorizes Pfizer jab for 12-15-year-olds
By AFP – Reuters Published: May 11, 2021 07:03 PM The US on Monday authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15, while the devastating outbreak in India raged on.
A health worker tries to adjust the oxygen mask of a patient at the BKC jumbo field hospital, one of the largest COVID-19 facilities in Mumbai, India, on May 6. Photo: VCGThe US Food and Drug Administration previously had granted an emergency use authorization for the jab to individuals aged 16 and older. This is a promising development in our fight against the virus, said President Joe Biden.
2021-05-11 02:20:48 GMT2021-05-11 10:20:48(Beijing Time) Sina English
A family member offers prayers during cremation of his loved one who died due to the COVID-19 coronavirus in Allahabad.
AFP
Schools and stores reopened in parts of Europe on Monday, easing out of months of COVID-19 lockdowns, but the devastating outbreak raged on across the subcontinent and health experts declared the virus mutation in India a variant of concern.
The World Health Organization in Geneva said the B.1.617 variant spreading in India appears to be more contagious. As such, we are classifying this as a variant of concern at the global level, said WHO s COVID-19 lead Maria Van Kerkove.
Covid: WHO says virus strain in India a variant of concern as Europe eases curbs
AFP/Geneva
Photo: AFP
The devastating wave has overwhelmed India’s healthcare system, and experts have said official figures for cases are much lower than the actual numbers.
Schools and stores reopened in parts of Europe on Monday, easing out of months of Covid-19 lockdowns, but the devastating outbreak raged on across the sub-continent and health experts declared the virus mutation in India a “variant of concern”.
The World Health Organization in Geneva said the B.1.617 variant spreading in India appears to be more contagious.