Pfizer asks US to allow Covid vaccines for children aged five to 11

Jabs could begin within weeks if US government approves request, with children getting a third of dose given to adults

A Covid vaccine for kids aged five to 11 just got another step closer to authorization, with Pfizer-BioNTech announcing on Twitter that the full application has been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Experts say authorization of the vaccine for children will be critical to controlling the pandemic. Nearly 850,000 cases were confirmed among US children in the past four weeks, and kids still account for a disproportionate share of weekly cases.