Indonesia is set to start Covid-19 vaccinations for children aged six to 11 from Dec 24, according to the Straits Times.

“Starting Dec 24, we will prioritise vaccines for children. We have allocated around 58 million to 60 million doses,” Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Harbuwono told media outlet Tempo on Friday (Dec 10).

The policy for child vaccinations was outlined in an instruction sent by the Home Affairs Ministry with regard to Covid-19 prevention and handling during the Christmas and New Year period.

“Local governments can start vaccinating children aged six to 11 years if they have reached 70 per cent of the vaccination target of at least the first dose and 60 per cent of the first-dose vaccination for the elderly in accordance with applicable regulations,” the instruction issued by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian on Thursday said.

The Indonesian National Agency of Drug and Food Control had given emergency use authorisation for the use of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine for children aged above five on Nov 2. It had earlier permitted the use of the vaccine for 12- to 17 year-olds, with the objective of resuming in-person classes at schools.

The agency is also conducting trials to evaluate China’s Sinopharm vaccine for children under 12.

It will contemplate approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine once it has been registered with the agency, following emergency use authorisation on Oct 29 by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the vaccine to be used on children.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency