Pfizer and BioNTech have asked the European Medicines Agency to authorise their Covid-19 vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, a move seen as a crucial step toward achieving herd immunity.
The companies already filed a similar request with US authorities earlier this month. Their vaccine is currently only approved for use in people aged 16 and over.
In a joint statement, Pfizer and BioNTech said they had submitted a request with the Amsterdam-based EMA to expand the use of their jab to include "adolescents 12 to 15 years of age".
Ugur Sahin, co-founder and CEO of Germany's BioNTech, yesterday said the jab could be available for those age groups from June if EU approval is granted.