First EU country backs Covid jabs for 5-year-olds
The Danish National Board of Health has recommended that children aged between five and 11 should be able to get vaccinated against Covid-19, becoming the first EU nation to make the move.
On Friday, Helene Probst, the deputy director of the National Board of Health, told the press the decision had come at a time of concern for the Nordic nation, as Covid cases continue to rise. “We have seen a worrying infection in the hospitals, and that the number of hospitalizations has risen to over 400,” she stated.
I am really happy that we now have an approval for children aged between five and 11 years old. We need that. We are still in the midst of an epidemic and a historic health crisis.
The board’s recommendation comes after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended on Thursday that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine could be safely used in children from the age of five.
Probst stated that while children in the age group were not at risk of developing severe Covid-19, vaccinating them could help protect family and friends. “We want to break those chains of infection with the vaccination,” she added.
The National Board of Health is yet to set a specific target for how many five- to 11-year-olds should be vaccinated. “But if we reach 70%, then it will be good,” Probst told the media.
The government has created a booklet for parents, informing them about vaccinating their young children.
