TOKYO (Reuters) – A Japanese health ministry panel on Wednesday recommended approving Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as six months old.
Japan in January expanded use of the vaccine to those as young as 5 years old. Last month, health authorities started to dispensing Pfizer and Moderna Inc booster shots that target the Omicron variant of the virus.
Both companies have versions of the vaccine that are further refined to defend against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron. Moderna said on Wednesday it was seeking Japanese approval of its subvariant shot, following Pfizer’s application last month.
(Reporting by Rocky Swift, Editing by Louise Heavens)
