The European Medicines Agency has advised the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for 12 to 15-year olds.

The agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use gave this assessment on Friday, marking the first time a COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for this age group in the European Union.

Until now, the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for use in the EU among those aged 16 and older.

Coming to its decision, the EMA examined the results of a trial on almost two thousand children aged 12 to 15 and said the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

The European Commission is expected to approve the EMA's recommendation while individual European countries can decide on their own whether to vaccinate adolescents aged 15 and younger. 

The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved for emergency use for 12 to 15 year-olds in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration.