Vietnam okays Pfizer vaccine for children, campaign starts in November
The Pfizer vaccine (Comirnaty) will be used to inoculate children aged 12 to 17 nationwide, starting in November, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long announced in Hanoi on October 26.
Vietnam will start vacciniating children against COVId-19 in November.
This vaccine is safe for children, Dr. Long told a meeting on vaccinations for children.
According to the minister, children aged 16-17 will be injected first and those in other age groups will receive their vaccine shot later.
For smaller children, he said the Ministry of Health has worked out a vaccination plan in 2022 pending the availability of vaccines for these groups.
Safety is No1 priority, stressed Dr. Long, adding that the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology will run training courses for all provinces and cities on October 29.
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City, the largest coronavirus hotspot in Vietnam, has been green-lighted to carry out a vaccination campaign for local children. The first 3,000 students in Cu Chi District and District No.1 will be given their first shot on a trial basis on October 27.
The US Food and Drug Administration has fully approved the Pfizer vaccine (Comirnaty) for children aged 16 and older. Children between the ages of 12 and 15 can get the shot under the current emergency use authorization.
Clinical trials show the Pfizer vaccine is 90.7% effective against asymptomatic infection in children.
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