The United States can now start giving children aged 5-11 the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, health authorities said Tuesday as they gave final approval to this new phase of fighting the pandemic. 

The same shot was granted emergency approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last Friday.

The government was well ahead of the decision, procuring enough doses for children in the 5-11 age group and beginning to ship them across the country.

U.S. President Joe Biden said the program to vaccinate children aged 5-11 against COVID-19 will ramp up over coming days, and be fully up and running during the week of November 8.