Kids in Australia would soon be eligible to get the COVID-19 jab.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced on Friday that it has approved the Pfizer vaccine for use in children as young as 12 years.
Now it is up to the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) to advise the federal government on where children should fit in the national vaccination program.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Friday that “the early advice I have is they (ATAGI) will fast-track vaccines for 12-15 year old’s who are immunocompromised or have underlying medical conditions.”
“They would be immediately added to phase 1b and would be able to book in,” he said.
Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos, who is Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research Partnerships at Victoria University, told Neos Kosmos she was pleased with the development and would consider this for her own children as well.
“Yes, this is a good idea, everyone needs to be protected against COVID-19. The only way to get on top of the pandemic is to have mass vaccinations world-wide. The vaccine is advisable in the first instance to children with underlying serious health conditions. Having an underlying health condition increases chances of developing serious symptoms of COVID and hospitalisation,” she said.
In January, the TGA granted approval for the Pfizer vaccine to be used in Australians over the age of 16.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is at the moment available to young adults over 18.