The Spanish health authorities authorized Tuesday, December 7 the vaccination against Covid-19 of children aged 5 to 11 from December 15, while the country is fighting against an upsurge in contamination.
The Public Health Commission "
approved the vaccination
" of children in this age group "in
order to reduce the number of contaminations
" among young people and "
transmission (of the virus) in the family environment
", announced the ministry of Health in a press release.
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According to the ministry, the first batch of pediatric vaccines will arrive in Spain on December 13 and will immediately be distributed to the regions and municipalities in charge of their administration.
The vaccination will begin on December 15, the statement said.
According to the authorities, 3.3 million children are likely to benefit from the vaccination.
“
At present, children under 12 are the age group with the highest cumulative incidence of Covid-19 cases,
” recalls the ministry.
A very high vaccination rate
Vaccination of 5-11 year-olds, with a version of the Pfizer vaccine less strong than that intended for adults, has been possible in the European Union since its authorization by the European drug regulator on November 25.
Several countries have since endorsed it, notably Italy and Greece.
In France, only the vaccination of children at risk of developing serious forms has been approved, but the government has said it is considering extending it "
to all children
" on a "
voluntary
" basis.
Spain is one of the countries in the world with the highest vaccination rate: according to the authorities, 89.4% of eligible people have a complete vaccination schedule.
The country is nevertheless experiencing an increase in contamination, like other European countries.