Vietnam approves Moderna vaccine for children

By Le Nga   October 29, 2021 | 05:31 am PT
Vietnam approves Moderna vaccine for children
A boy receives a Covid-19 vaccine shot in HCMC's District 1, October 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran
Vietnam has approved the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 12-17, the second one to get such approval after the Pfizer vaccine.

Duong Thi Hong, deputy director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said that "Children vaccination would begin in localities that have gone under social distancing, has high Covid-19 infection rates, high population density and high infection risk."

For children who are studying in schools, vaccination would be prioritized for high school students, before moving onto secondary students. Those who are not studying in schools would also be listed for vaccination.

HCMC started vaccinating children against Covid-19 on Wednesday, with those aged 16-17 being prioritized. The national vaccination campaign for children will commence in November.

The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine earlier has been approved for vaccinating children, with two shots given around three to four weeks apart. Consent from parents or guardians are needed for their children’s vaccination.

Vietnam has vaccinated around 54.5 million adults with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot and 22.6 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.

 
 
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