EU gives green light for vaccination of children

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Children aged twelve and older in the EU can now be vaccinated with Biontech/Pfizer’s Corona vaccine. Following a recommendation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Friday, the EU Commission said it has now officially granted approval. Member states can now decide whether to expand their vaccination campaign to young people, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides wrote on Twitter Monday. “To end this crisis, every dose counts.”

Children 12 and older get Pfizer
Following the EMA recommendation, the National Immunization Panel (NIG) in Austria followed the decision on Friday evening. Vaccination is recommended in Austria among 12- to 15-year-olds according to the NIG’s prioritization list, the statement sent by the Ministry of Health said. Final approval in the EU by the European Commission was considered a formality.

In Germany, the Standing Commission on Vaccination has not yet issued a recommendation. Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn had welcomed the recommendation of the EMA aberschon on Friday as “great news”. A federal-state roundtable decided last week that it will also be possible to seek vaccination appointments for children from June 7 – at which point priority rules will no longer apply, and vaccination will theoretically be open to all citizens*, provided vaccine is available. From Spahn’s point of view, parents and doctors should decide individually.

With the preparation of the Mainz-based company and its U.S. partner, a Corona vaccine has now been approved in Europe for the first time for people under 16 years of age. On Friday, the EMA issued an assessment that the product is safe for use in children. This was based on the review by the relevant expert committee.

Vaccine protection for children at 100 percent
In Canada and the U.S., health authorities had already allowed its use in 12- to 15-year-olds a few weeks ago. The protection against Covid 19 disease is 100 percent, the manufacturers explain on the basis of a study. The EMA saw no signs of serious side effects.