S. Korea approves Pfizer’s COVID vaccine for ages 5-11

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean health officials have approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, expanding the country’s immunization program in the face of a massive omicron outbreak that is driving up hospitalizations and deaths. The plans were announced Wednesday after the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported a record 171,452 new virus cases, nearly a 40-fold increase from levels in mid-January when omicron first emerged as the country’s dominant strain. The 99 new deaths are the highest daily tally since Dec. 31, when the country was grappling with a delta-driven surge that buckled hospital systems.