COVID-19: Malta will start vaccinating children aged 12 to 15 in July

Children aged between 12 and 15 will start receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in July, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced.

Approval for the use of one of the coronavirus vaccines in teenagers between 12 and 15 is expected to be given by the European Medicines Agency in the coming days, he said.

EMA is expected to announce its decision on the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in under-16s tomorrow after a meeting of its evaluation committee, according to several European media reports.

In the US, the Pfizer COVID vaccine has been authorised for use in that age group.

Speaking on TVM’s Xtra, which will air tonight, Fearne said that once EMA gives its approval, children in Malta aged between 12 and 15 will receive an invitation towards the end of June and beginning of July to get vaccinated.

He said children of that age cannot register themselves since they require parental consent, which is why the invitation system will be adopted.

Inoculations could be expected to start after school exams are over in the second half of June.