UK to Vaccinate Vulnerable Children Aged 5-11

The U.K.’s health service is going to vaccinate children between the ages of five and 11 who are most at risk of Covid-19, officials announced on Sunday.

Children who are vulnerable or who live with someone whose immune system is suppressed will be able to get their first dose, according to an NHS statement. Around 500,000 children will be eligible.

“We know vaccines give significant protection against severe illness from Covid -- including the omicron variant, so it is important that our youngest and most at-risk get protected,” said Dr. Nikki Kanani, GP and deputy lead for the NHS vaccination program.

Media outlets affirmed that more than 84% of people over the age of 12 have received both initial doses of the vaccine and almost 65% have now received a third booster shot.

Countries such as Malaysia, Canada, and France had approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.