[Photo: Reuters ]
Qatar’s Ministry of Health has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years.
According to the ministry the vaccine which will be given in two doses is however optional.
It says the second dose will be given three weeks after the first dose.
Health officials say the approval to give out the doses, is in line with the latest local and international studies that show the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine for the specific age group.
Additionally, is the clinical evidence available from different countries globally that have already started vaccinating children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old.
The dose of vaccine will be one-third of that used for the older age groups.
The health officers say this step is very important to ensure the protection of the children from the risks of Covid-19 infection, following the current upsurge of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
The Qatari Ministry of Health says the doses will be provided for the children in all health centers.