Three doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine offer strong protection for children younger than five, the company announced Monday. Pfizer plans to give the data to U.S. regulators later this week in a step toward letting the littlest kids get the shots.

The news comes after months of anxious waiting by parents desperate to vaccinate their babies, toddlers and preschoolers, especially as the number of U.S. COVID-19 cases once again is rising. The 18 million children under five are the only group in the U.S. not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

Health Canada has not yet approved mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for children under five. 

Pfizer