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Covid-19: Israel approves Pfizer vaccines for younger children

Children between the ages of 5 and 11 to be inoculated with Pfizer BioNTech vaccine

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A 12-year-old boy receives Covid-19 vaccine in Jerusalem. — AP file

By AP

Published: Mon 15 Nov 2021, 1:05 AM

Last updated: Mon 15 Nov 2021, 1:09 AM

Israel on Sunday approved giving the Covid-19 vaccine to children between the ages of 5 and 11.

The Health Ministry decision follows approval by US health authorities earlier this month to OK the vaccine for the same age group.

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Israel was one of the first countries in the world to carry out a broad vaccination campaign in its adult and adolescent population early this year, and it became the first country to carry out a widespread booster campaign over the summer.

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Experts say Israel’s aggressive vaccination efforts have helped curb the spread of the coronavirus and bring a recent wave of the delta variant under control. But it has seen the coronavirus continue to spread among unvaccinated populations, including children.

In a statement, the ministry said its director-general, Dr Nachman Ash, accepted a recommendation from expert advisers to inoculate children with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. It said a majority of advisers believed the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks.

The ministry said it would announce a date for beginning the campaign in the coming days. Israeli media said the vaccinations of a child-sized dose of the vaccine were expected to start next week.

AP

Published: Mon 15 Nov 2021, 1:05 AM

Last updated: Mon 15 Nov 2021, 1:09 AM

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