Switzerland to start vaccinating children aged 5-11 from January

Pfizer/ BioNTech jabs will be given to the children

The Swiss authorities will start administering theCovid-19 vaccination from Pfizer and BioNTech to children aged 5-11 from next month, according to Reuters.

“If they wish, parents or legal guardians can have their children vaccinated on an individual benefit-risk basis as soon as the vaccine is available,” the Federal Office of Public Health said.

The supply of vaccines is expected to be available from the beginning of January, he added.

The vaccine is recommended for children whose health is at serious risk due to chronic conditions.

Vaccination is recommended as a priority for children who have close contact with people at high risk, within the same household, who cannot obtain protection from the vaccine, for example, they have a weakened immune system, it said.

The Swiss medicines agency approved the vaccination of children aged 5-11 with Pfizer- BioNTech’s Comirnaty vaccine on Friday.

“Clinical Trial results show that the vaccine is safe and effective in this age group”, according to Swiss medicines agency Swissmedic.

The vaccine is administered in two doses of ten microgrammes three weeks apart.

An ongoing clinical trial of more than 1,500 people “showed that the Covid-19 vaccine offers almost complete protection against serious illness caused by the virus in 5-11- years- old” it said.

“Side effects tended to occur less frequently than in adolescents or adults. They included pain at the injection site and tiredness, or less frequently headache, aching limbs of fever,” the agency added.

Switzerland is currently experiencing 5TH wave of the virus. Switzerland joined Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain in Europe to give the green light to the vaccination of the children in this age group.