Chilean health regulator approves Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for teenagers

SANTIAGO - Chile's public health regulator has approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for teenagers, it said in a statement on Monday.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has already been rolled out in Chile for those 17 and older since emergency approval was granted in December and will now be offered also for children aged 12 to 16, the ISP regulator said.

The ISP said its decision followed similar authorization granted by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.

The ISP's director, Heriberto Garcia, said the decision would help Chile hit its goal of herd immunity with 80% of the target population vaccinated by July.

“This is very good news for protecting our adolescents, who 14 days after two doses will have a very good immunity to go resume normal life," he said. —Reuters