The city of Berlin, Greece, Spain and Hungary are starting on Wednesday, December 15, vaccination campaigns against Covid-19 for children under 12, an age group among the most exposed to current contamination .
>> Covid-19: three questions on the vaccination of children at risk which opens on Wednesday
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 drug regulator on November 25.
The World Health Organization (WHO) observes that the age groups between 5 and 14 years are currently the most affected by the pandemic, with sometimes rates two to three times higher than in the rest of the population.
Denmark and Austria have already taken the plunge. In Germany, where opponents of vaccination remain mobilized, several regions, including the capital Berlin and Bavaria, are launching Wednesday.
After weeks of procrastination by the German vaccine commission, the “Länder” have chosen to recommend the vaccination of children with risk factors or whose family and friends have comorbidities.
They will receive two injections of the vaccine over a three to six week period. In addition to vaccination among pediatricians and general practitioners, large-scale actions are planned at the Berlin Zoo and the Natural History Museum, or in schools.
Hungary will also launch its campaign for 5-11 year olds on Wednesday. In Greece, more than 20,000 parents have made an appointment to have their child vaccinated also from Wednesday.
Spain, one of the good pupils of vaccination in Europe, is also opening the campaign of injections to 5-11 year olds, in the hope of fighting against the upsurge in contamination among young people and the transmission of the virus in the family environment. .
Other European countries, such as Italy, Poland, the Baltic countries or even Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Switzerland will start their campaign in the coming days.
Outside of Europe, Canada and the United States and Israel have also authorized the vaccination of children as young. China, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia vaccinate children from 3 years old, Cuba and Nicaragua from 2 years old.
In France, only the vaccination of children at risk of developing serious forms has been approved, but the government has said it is considering expanding it. “to all children” on a voluntary basis.
These campaigns start as WHO warned Tuesday that the Omicron variant is spreading “at a rate that we have never seen with any other variant”, and said to fear a saturation of hospitals.