Prognosis
Hong Kong May Hack BioNTech Shot For Kids Amid Supply Shortages
- Experts back a third of an adult dose for kids aged five to 11
- Distributor Fosun Pharma hasn’t applied for lowering age bar
This article is for subscribers only.
Hong Kong’s vaccine advisory panel recommended giving a partial dose of BioNTech SE’s adult Covid shot to younger children, resorting to an “off-label use” amid supply shortages for a pediatric formulation.
The experts suggested children age 5 to 11 receive 10 micrograms of the German-made shots, which is one-third of the adult dose. The move would “facilitate the timely extension” of vaccine coverage for those age groups, the government advisers said in a statement on Wednesday.