COVID-19: Over 30% of 12 to 15-year-olds fully vaccinated

5,803 children between the ages of 12 and 15 have been fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry told MaltaToday.

The ministry said that 16,200 invitations had been sent out to this cohort, with 10,892 having had at least one dose of the vaccine.

At the end of June, under-15s started receiving an invitation to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

That same month the EU’s drug watchdog approved the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus jab for 12 to 15-year-olds, saying the vaccine was “well-tolerated” in children and there were no “major concerns” in terms of side effects.

Last week, the ministry announced that under-15s would be issued a COVID vaccine certificate through the use of a PIN code. This PIN code, or health token, can be used as an alternative to the ID document number normally found on the back of ID cards. Parents or guardians of children between 12 and 15 years old will receive an SMS with the relevant details.

Up until Tuesday, 762,832 COVID vaccine doses were administered in Malta. The health authorities reported that 400,760 have had at least the first dose, and 385,049 people have been fully vaccinated against the virus.

This translates that 84.8% of the adult population is fully vaccinated.

Parents or guardians who have not yet received an invitation for their child are encouraged to email [email protected] to arrange an appointment.