Pfizer Inc. has applied for approval from Japan's health ministry to use COVID-19 vaccines on children age 5 to 11, the firm said in a statement released Wednesday.
Pfizer's Comirnaty vaccine, developed in partnership with BioNTech, was the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for the general public in February. COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna and AstraZeneca have since been approved in the country.
Pfizer's vaccine is currently being offered to those age 12 and above. If approved by the health ministry, the shot will be the first to be administered to children under 12 in Japan.
About 74% of the population is now fully vaccinated, according to NHK, and the government is widely expected to start administering booster shots by the end of the year.