The European Medicines Agency (EMA) expects to decide in early October on the possible use of a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

It will be the European Union drug regulator's first decision on boosters, the source said, after the US Food and Drug Administration authorised a third dose of Pfizer for those 65 and older.

"EMA's decision on the third dose of Pfizer is expected for the beginning of October," the source said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.