Germany to vaccinate children 12 years and above against COVID from June 7: Chancellor Angela Merkel
"Children and young people aged 12 and over will have the chance to book a vaccine appointment from June 7," she said after talks with Germany's regional leaders.
FollowChancellor Angela Merkel has said that Germany will start vaccinating children over the age of 12 against Covid-19 from June 7. She, however, said that vaccination will not be made compulsory.
"Children and young people aged 12 and over will have the chance to book a vaccine appointment from June 7," she said after talks with Germany's regional leaders.
The European Medicines Agency is expected to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid jab for 12- to 15-year-olds on Friday. It is already authorised in the EU for those over 16.
Those willing will be given their first of two shots by the end of August. The vaccination programme will have no bearing on whether children can attend school or go on holiday, according to media reports.
"The main message to parents is: there will be no compulsory vaccinations," Merkel told reporters.
Schools would not require pupils to be vaccinated, she said. "And it would be totally wrong to think you can only go on holiday with a vaccinated child."
Pfizer has claimed that its Covid vaccine is highly effective against the virus and suitable for everyone aged 12 years or above.
Notably, inoculating children is seen as a major step towards achieving herd immunity in the fight against the pandemic. Canada and the United States have already started vaccinating over-12s.
But experts have also expressed reservations, pointing out that children rarely suffer from severe Covid and that vaccine supply is still tight.
Merkel urged patience, saying not everyone would get an appointment for their child right away.
All over -12s will still be allowed to get jabbed regardless, similar to the AstraZeneca vaccine which is officially recommended only for people over 60 in Germany but is open to anyone who has consulted with their doctor.
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