Pfizer Could Seek COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Approval For Children Under 5 This Week

Pfizer Inc PFE and BioNTech SE BNTX are likely to submit a request for an emergency use authorization to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday for a COVID-19 vaccine aimed at children younger than five years.

What Happened: The vaccine, made by the two companies, will be the first such available for that particular age group, according to a Washington Post report.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children, under five, could be available as early as end-February, as per the report.

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Why It Matters: The FDA had urged the two companies to submit the application so it could begin to review the two-dose data, people familiar with the matter told the Post.

A Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children between the ages of 5 to 11 years already exists.

In December, it was reported that Pfizer plans to evaluate the third shot of its COVID-19 vaccine in children below five years.

Price Action: On Monday, Pfizer shares closed nearly 3% lower at $52.69 in the regular session. On the same day, BioNTech shares rose 6.1% to $172.08 and gained another 0.5% in the after-hours trading.

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