UAE clears Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 to 11

Monday, the Ministry of Health in the United Arab Emirates authorized the emergency use of the coronavirus vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech, for children from 5 to 11 years old, according to the Emirates News Agency, WAM.

The Emirati Health Ministry stated that this decision was made “based on the results of clinical studies and strict evaluation for the authorization of emergency use of the vaccine.”

The statement added that it was locally evaluated in compliance with approved regulations and was also approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

This comes within the framework of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection's keenness and emphasis on the importance of vaccination against COVID-19, and within the efforts made to expand the umbrella of the national campaign to vaccinate, protect and immunize the society to accelerate the recovery phase from the aftermath of the pandemic.

The adoption of the vaccine represents a critical stage that enhances the safety of this age group, as the results of clinical studies indicated that the vaccine is “safe” and has actually given a “strong” immune response to children between the ages of 5 and 11 years.

This will contribute to accelerating the recovery process in the UAE and the country’s proactive approach to support the return to normal life.