BioNtech's chief medical officer's told Der Spiegal, they expect to file results of trials in five to 11 year olds with regulators in the next few weeks.
Ireland today reaches the milestone of 7 million doses administered, with 90 per cent of the adult population now fully vaccinated.
DCU professor of health systems, Anthony Staines, says children returning to school should be protected.
"It's likely that the vaccine approval will be sold for younger children. There are studies underway, which are meant to end at the end of September, so I expect the applications would go in very shortly after that funding may hopefully be in the position to extend vaccination to younger children."