Pfizer Applies To Use Updated Vaccine For Younger Children In Japan

US drug maker Pfizer has asked Japan's health ministry to approve the use of its updated coronavirus vaccine for children aged five to 11. The firm says the vaccine is effective against the prevailing Omicron BA.5 subvariant.
Pfizer said it filed the request on Thursday. The so-called bivalent vaccine targets the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, as well as earlier strains.
Messenger RNA-based vaccines enable the human body to create spike proteins and build up an immune response.
The vaccine for the BA.5 subvariant is currently available for those aged 12 or older in Japan.
On Wednesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the use of the firm's updated coronavirus booster shots for children as young as five.