Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) has approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children in the 5 to 11 age group.

The decision follows a comprehensive evaluation of the data provided by Pfizer-BioNTech, carried out by the NHRA's Clinical Trials Committee and the Ministry of Health's Vaccination Committee, reported Bahrain News Agency (BNA).

The NHRA indicated that the vaccine is as effective in bolstering the immune systems of individuals in the 5 to 11 age group as it was for those in the 16 to 25 age group. The NHRA also found that across the 5-11 years age group the vaccination was 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19.

The study also indicated that no severe side effects were reported among 3,100 children between the ages of 5 and 11 who had received the vaccination.

The manufacturer will supply Bahrain with the doses for children in this age group at the beginning of 2022, the report said.