Vietnam approves Covid vaccination for 12-17 age group

The Covid-19 vaccines administered have to be approved by the health ministry for the particular age group, in accordance with instructions from their manufacturers.

The vaccines have to be administered in two doses, with both being of the same vaccine. Parents or other legal guardians must sign their consent for the children's vaccination.

The ministry did not explicitly say which types of Covid-19 vaccine would be used for children aged 12-17. So far, only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for thís particular age range.

Localities can formulate plans and begin giving out first vaccine shots from later this month, once all conditions are met, the ministry said. Local health departments would cooperate with their education department peers to list all students from 6th to 12th grades.

The shots would be given at fixed vaccination points and mobile vaccination stations. In localities where students are allowed to study in-person, children can be vaccinated at their schools.

Vietnam has vaccinated around 39.8 million adults with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot and 16.5 million have been fully vaccinated.

Children under 18 account for around 17 percent of all Covid-19 infections in Vietnam, according to data from the health ministry.