A lower dose of the Pfizer jab can now be given to children in Ireland, aged five to 11, with the rollout expected to start before Christmas.

Damien McCallion, the HSE lead on vaccines, makes it clear that there will be no choice of which jab people receive 

Pfizer has signed a deal with a UN-backed group to allow other manufacturers to make its experimental Covid-19 pill, which could make the treatment available to more than half of the world’s population.

US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer beat third-quarter expectations and raised its 2021 forecast again even as sales of its top product, the Covid-19 vaccine Comirnaty, slipped in America.

Effectiveness against infection fell over the study period, dropping from 88% within one month after receiving two vaccine doses, to 47% after six months.

Pfizer last week said it intended to seek approval from authorities in the US and EU for use of the vaccine on those aged five to 11

Pfizer studied a lower dose of its two-jab vaccine in more than 2,200 nursery and primary school-aged children

In Ireland, only immunocompromised people are in line for a third vaccine shot, in accordance with European Medicines Agency advice

Decision to mix vaccines is part of an effort to further speed up the rollout as Covid-19 cases continue to rise, with Ireland now the worst-affected EU country

You won't be able to get your second dose if the sufficient time has not passed

The Chief Medical Officer said public health doctors are reporting symptomatic people going to work, dining out or visiting friends.

Results of the new study were posted online but have not undergone full scientific review

The data provides further support for the decision of several countries to offer alternatives to AstraZeneca as a second shot after the vaccine was linked to rare blood clots.

The HSE announced that over 50% of the adult population - around 1.9m people - is now fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

New book traces the impact pharmaceutical manufacturing has had here

Researchers say this provides additional evidence in support of plans to deliver a vaccination boost to vulnerable people in the autumn.

The EMA’s recommendation was based on a study in more than 2,000 adolescents in the US that showed the vaccine was safe and effective

There is no evidence the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 needs updating to protect against variants, BioNTech has said.

Revenue was 14.58 billion dollars (£10.51 billion), also easily exceeding forecasts of 13.49 billion dollars from industry analysts

Vaccines are “successful” at reducing hospital admissions, the head of the NHS in England has said as a new study showed a 75% reduced risk of emergency hospital admission among people who have received the Pfizer jab.

Australia has finalised a deal to buy an extra 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine as it rapidly pivots away from its earlier plan to rely mainly on the AstraZeneca jab.

The pharmaceutical giant said its findings show the vaccine is 100% effective in preventing Covid-19 cases in South Africa – where the South African variant is now common.

The Pfizer vaccine produces an “off the scale” immune response that is likely to protect against the Brazilian variant of Covid-19, researchers say.

The Pfizer Covid-19 jab is “100% effective and well tolerated” among children aged 12 to 15, a new study suggests.

In a study of 2,260 US volunteers aged 12 to 15, preliminary data showed no cases of Covid-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents, compared with 18 among those given dummy shots, Pfizer reported

The study, which is awaiting peer review, analysed results from thousands of Covid-19 tests carried out weekly on hospital staff displaying no coronavirus symptoms 

The vaccine was also 98% effective in preventing fever or breathing problems and 98.9% effective in preventing hospitalisations and death, the ministry said

More than 7,000 healthcare workers at the Sheba Medical Centre in Israel – the country’s largest hospital – were involved in the study.

All elderly patients will be invited individually to their appointments, and do not need to book slots

While recent evidence shows the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are more beneficial to those over 70, infectious disease expert Prof Karina Butler says they will not be ruling out the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine on this age category

A single dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine is “highly protective” after three weeks, according to a new study.

A vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to be effective against the UK variant of coronavirus, according to two lab studies.

The pharmaceutical giant assured Calum Thornhill from Glanmire that they had been in touch with Santa and his elves and they were safe and well and set to deliver presents on Christmas Eve

"We could well be seeing low numbers to begin with, but we could be looking at the start of vaccinations before the New Year," said Mr Donnelly.

There will be three phases to the rollout with a small number perhaps starting before the new year.

Pfizer and BioNTech have filed for approval of their coronavirus vaccine in Europe

The boss of one of the companies leading the charge for a coronavirus vaccine has expressed hope that there is “a light at the end of the tunnel”.

The coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer is 95% effective and has passed its safety checks, according to further data from the firm.

Shares in the new firm Viatris, which was created by Pfizer combining its drugs, including Lipitor and Viagra, that are made by its Upjohn unit in Cork with rival drugmaker Mylan, start trading on the US Nasdaq exchange on Tuesday.

Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla sold $5. 5m (€4. 6m) of company shares on Monday, the day the drugmaker said its Covid-19 vaccine was 90% effective based on interim trial results, a regulatory filing showed.

News of a breakthrough in the race to find a Covid-19 vaccine sparked one of the heaviest trading days since the height of the pandemic crisis, according to early data analysed by Reuters, with nearly $2 trillion (€1. 7tn) changing hands in one day.

A Pfizer laboratory in Grange Castle in Dublin is playing a key part in assessing the quality of the manufacturing of the potential vaccine in Europe which Pfizer is developing with its partner BioNTech of Germany. 

Shares in Ryanair, AIB, and Bank of Ireland, as well as Dalata Hotel and Irish Ferries-owner ICG, soared within minutes of the announcement

The investment will provide additional manufacturing and laboratory capacity creating approximately 300 jobs over the next two to three years