Israel greenlights Pfizer's jabs for children aged five to 11

JERUSALEM • Israel has given the green light to start vaccinating children aged between five and 11 against Covid-19 using Pfizer-BioNTech shots, following the example of the United States.

"The director-general of the ministry of health... authorised the vaccination of children aged five to 11," the health ministry said on Sunday.

Israel was one of the first countries to launch a vaccination campaign last year, thanks to a deal with Pfizer that gave it access to millions of doses in exchange for data on the vaccine's efficacy.

The vaccination campaign allowed the health authorities to fully vaccinate 5.7 million of the country's nine million population.

The authorities had already begun vaccinating minors aged 12 to 17 but decided to lower the age threshold in the wake of trials by Pfizer and recommendations from a panel of Israeli scientists.

The US Food and Drug Administration had granted emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for the age group at a 10-microgram (mcg) dose.

The original shot given to those aged 12 and older is 30mcg.

Results of clinical trials using the Pfizer jab on children showed that it was 90.7 per cent effective in preventing symptoms of the illness. "The majority of experts believe that the benefits of vaccinating children outweigh the risks," the ministry said.

Israel joins other countries offering vaccines to young children, including the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Colombia and Cuba.

Israel reported 308 cases on Sunday, a marked plunge from daily cases that topped 10,000 in late August and early September, driven by the Delta variant of the virus.

A campaign for a third, booster shot appeared key to driving down cases.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS