Children aged 5 to 11 could get Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines from next week- Dr. Anthony

Children in Guyana between the ages of five and 11 could start receiving the US-made Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines as early as next week, pending the rollout of these vaccines among children in the United States of America (USA).

This was announced by the Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony on Tuesday during his daily COVID-19 update.

He noted that this is being done since the local health authorities are anticipating the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approving this vaccine for use in children.

Children between the ages of 12 and 18 are exclusively receiving the Pfizer vaccines since this COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in this age category. Other vaccines have not been approved for use in children.

And on Tuesday, Reuters reported that the US FDA is considering authorising the use of this vaccine in children aged five to 11, but at a lower dosage. It is anticipated that the vaccine’s use will be authorised in days and the rollout will commence in early November.

Reuters reported further that the Pfizer and BioNTech companies, producing the Pfizer vaccine, said last month that their COVID-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response in the five to 11-year-olds in its clinical trial.

The companies also said the vaccine showed 90.7 per cent efficacy against COVID-19 in the same group.

And once the US authorities give the greenlight for the use of these vaccines in children, it is expected that a similar rollout will commence in Guyana.

Already, some 26,966 children (between the ages of 12 and 18) have received the Pfizer vaccine; this is about 37 per cent of the targeted children population.

Meanwhile, some 17,489 children in this age category have received both their first and second doses.

“We still see a lot more children who need to be vaccinated within this age group,” Dr. Anthony said on Tuesday, however.