Spain's health commission on Tuesday approved vaccinations against Covid-19 for children aged 5 to 11 following a recommendation by the European Union's health regulator late last month.
Spanish authorities expect to start vaccinating children on Dec. 13 as the first doses of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine are expected arrive, Health Minister Carolina Darias told reporters in Brussels where she was attending a meeting of EU health ministers. The decision comes as the country, with a nationwide vaccination rate of nearly 80%, seeks to address an acceleration of Covid cases.
Inoculating children and young people, who can unwittingly transmit Covid-19 to others, is considered a critical step towards taming the pandemic.
EU countries such as Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic have already approved vaccinations for children under 12.
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Published 07 December 2021, 13:27 IST