Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has approved on Wednesday to include children in the age group of 5-11 years among those who are allowed to receive the Pfizer vaccine (BNT162b2) in the Kingdom.

This was after Pfizer Company submitted a request to SFDA for its approval and accreditation so that the health authorities in the Kingdom can then use the vaccine for children aged five and above.

The decision of the authority was based on the data provided by the Pfizer Company that the vaccine met the special regulatory requirements, as it included clinical studies and practical reports to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine for this age group.

It is noteworthy that Pfizer BioNTech is the first vaccine for which SFDA had accorded approval to use in the Kingdom on Dec. 10, 2020, following the submission of the company for the approval and use in the Kingdom.

SFDA had given approval then to the vaccines of Oxford-Astrazeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines.

As of Nov. 3, Saudi Arabia has administered a total of more than 46.17 million doses of vaccines against coronavirus free of charge through vaccination centers all over the Kingdom.