JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Sunday permitted giving the COVID-19 vaccine to kids between the ages of 5 and 11.
The Well being Ministry choice follows approval by U.S. well being authorities earlier this month to OK the vaccine for a similar age group.
Israel was one of many first nations on the earth to hold out a broad vaccination marketing campaign in its grownup and adolescent inhabitants early this yr, and it turned the primary nation to hold out a widespread booster marketing campaign over the summer season.
Specialists say Israel’s aggressive vaccination efforts have helped curb the unfold of the coronavirus and produce a current wave of the delta variant beneath management. However it has seen the coronavirus proceed to unfold amongst unvaccinated populations, together with kids.
In an announcement, the Well being Ministry stated its director normal, Dr. Nachman Ash, accepted a advice from knowledgeable advisers to inoculate kids with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. It stated a majority of advisers believed the advantages of the vaccine outweighed the dangers.
The ministry stated it will announce a date for starting the marketing campaign within the coming days. Israeli media stated the vaccinations of a child-sized dose of the vaccine have been anticipated to start out subsequent week.