Paris: Amid rising cases of new omicron variant of coronavirus, France’s health authority has approved COVID-19 vaccinations for children five to 11 years old on Monday. The government says injections could begin Wednesday, reported Associated Press. France began vaccinations for children with health risks last week, and the High Authority for Health on Monday expanded its recommendation to include all 5 to 11-year-olds, using Pfizer’s pediatric dose.
It cited “the fifth wave due to the delta variant and the appearance of the omicron variant,” and said the decision came after lengthy discussions with ethical committees, medical professionals, parents and teachers. Health Minister Olivier Veran said the injections could begin Wednesday.
France is seeing more weekly confirmed virus cases than at any time in the pandemic, and a rise in hospitalizations linked to the virus. The government canceled New Year’s Eve events and is accelerating efforts to administer booster shots, but has not closed restaurants and stores or set curfews like some other European countries have done to limit the spread of omicron.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which will be administered in a paediatric formulation when it becomes widely available, showed high efficacy among children, said Lise Alter, one of the doctors charged with the risk evaluation of new drugs, according to France24.
“The HAS suggests that all parents who want it can have their children aged 5 to 11 years vaccinated,” she added.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he was in favour of vaccinating children, but added that this needed to remain the decision of parents.
