On 01 March 2022 the EU Commission agreed to extend the authorisation of the vaccine Comirnaty (BioNTech/Pfizer) to include booster vaccination for children and adolescents aged 12 years and older. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended this course of action on 24 February 2022.
Booster vaccinations are given to fully vaccinated individuals (i.e. individuals who have completed primary vaccination) to maintain or restore immunity after it has waned.
Booster vaccination with Comirnaty had previously only been authorised for individuals 18 years of age and older.
The CHMP recommendation underlying the EU Commission's decision is based on the assessment of all available data on safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of both of the initial vaccinations and of the booster dose across the different age groups. In addition, findings from the use of booster vaccinations among adolescents in Israel and adults worldwide were considered for the recommendation.
Updated: 01.03.2022
