Pfizer and BioNTech asked the Food and Drug Administration Friday to expand the emergency use authorization of its COVID vaccine to cover adolescents ages 12–15.

Why it matters: The authorization would broaden vaccination efforts and speed up the country's race to herd immunity, a goal that will ultimately require teenagers and children to be vaccinated as well.

The big picture: A trial of more than 2,200 children between the ages of 12 and 15 found that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was 100% effective at protecting against the coronavirus.

• "Across the globe, we are longing for a normal life. This is especially true for our children," Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, said in March.
• Pfizer and BioNTech announced last month that the first doses were administered in a trial for children ages 6 months to 11 years.

Go deeper: The pandemic's toll on teens