India to vaccinate kids between 15-18 years from Jan. These countries are inoculating them already
India will vaccinate children between 15-18 years against Covid-19 from January 3, 2022, amid rising cases linked to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday.
Countries around the world have expanded their Covid-19 vaccination programmes to include young children and on Thursday Ecuador became the first country to make vaccines obligatory for children as young as five, following the arrival of the Omicron variant.
Also read | PM Modi announces Covid-19 jabs for kids, boosters for 60+
The following is a list of some countries that are vaccinating children:
1. Italy approved vaccination for children aged 5-11 on December 1 and the French authorities said on Wednesday that they were making all children 5 to 11 eligible.
2. Children in the US aged 5 to 11 were recommended for Covid-19 vaccines on November 2.
3. Canada authorised Pfizer's shot for children aged five to 11 on November 19.
4. Hungary started vaccinating 16- to 18-year-olds in mid-May.
5. Britain's vaccine committee has recommended 12 to 15-year-olds be offered a second dose.
Also read | DCGI approves Covaxin for emergency use in age group between 12 and 18 years
6. Germany will likely offer jabs to children under 12 from early 2022, DW reported, after approving shots for teenagers in August.
7. Estonia, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden and Finland are offering shots to children aged 12 and over.
8. According to government data dated November 28, some 63 per cent of Dutch 12- to 17-year-olds are fully vaccinated.
9. Switzerland approved vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds with Pfizer's shot in June and did the same for Moderna's jab two months later.
10. Norway started offering one dose of Pfizer/BioNTech to children aged 12-15 in September.
Also read | As Omicron spreads, time to upgrade your mask. Experts explain
11. Bahrain has approved the Sinopharm vaccine for children aged 3-11.
12. Israel, Oman and Saudi Arabia have approved Pfizer's shot for children as young as five, a shot Bahrain and the UAE have also approved for emergency use in the same age group.
13. Jordan, Morocco, Guinea, Namibia and South Africa are vaccinating children aged 12 and over.
14. Zimbabwe has made 14-year-olds eligible for Covid-19 shots.
15 Egypt said in early November it would begin vaccinating children aged 15-18 using Pfizer.
16 China has approved two Sinopharm and one Sinovac vaccine for children as young as three.
17. Hong Kong lowered the age limit for Sinovac's vaccine to three in late November.
18. South Korea, Australia and the Philippines are vaccinating children 12 and over.
Also read | Why do vaccinated people too get Covid? Study breaks down how virus transmits
19. Vietnam began vaccinating teenagers aged 16 and 17, AP reported in late October.
20 Cuba is administering vaccines to children as young as two.
21. Venezuela said in early November it is vaccinating children aged 2 to 11
22. Argentina is vaccinating children as young as three with Sinopharm's shot while Chile and El Salvador began vaccinating children aged 6-11 in September.
Also read | New research claims Omicron has cold-like symptoms, resembles parainfluenza
23. Costa Rica made Covid-19 vaccination mandatory for children from age five.
24. Brazil's health regulator approved Pfizer's shot for 12-year olds in June.
25. Columbia is offering Pfizer, AstraZenenca, Moderna, Sinopharm and J&J vaccines for those aged 12 and over and neighbouring Ecuador is inoculating children as young as six with Sinovac's shot.
(With Reuters inputs)
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