British regulators approved a new formulation of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine appropriate for use in children aged five to 11, as the government cut the isolation period required for positive cases, AFP reports.

The announcements came as Wales followed Scotland in unveiling new post-Christmas coronavirus curbs, primarily around hospitality and large events, as the UK's devolved nations move at different speeds to surging Omicron variant cases.

Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it had approved the new age-appropriate Pfizer-BioNTech after finding it was “safe and effective” for children aged five to 11.

“We have carefully considered all the available data and reached the decision that there is robust evidence to support a positive benefit risk for children in this age group,” MHRA chief executive June Raine said in a statement.