Pfizer and BioNTech asked the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Friday to expand its COVID vaccine's emergency use authorization to cover adolescents ages 12 to 15.
Why it matters: The authorization would broaden vaccination efforts and speed up the country's race to herd immunity, a goal that will ultimately require teenagers and children to be vaccinated as well.
The big picture: A trial of more than 2,200 children between the ages of 12 and 15 found that the Pfizer vaccine was 100% effective at protecting against the coronavirus.
- "Across the globe, we are longing for a normal life. This is especially true for our children," Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, said in March.
- Pfizer and BioNTech announced last month that the first doses were administered last week in a trial for children ages six months to 11 years.
Go deeper:The pandemic's toll on teens
