Athens: Greece and a handful of other European Union members began to vaccinate children aged 5-11 against Covid-19 on Wednesday because the government prepared for the holiday season and the spread of Omicron variants.
Athena’s children’s hospital gave her first shot to younger children for hours after the authorities announced the highest daily death of the Greek pandemic in 130.
Children were given stickers and school holidays.
More than 30,000 vaccination promises for UNDER-12S have been ordered by Greek parents, including Education Minister Niki Kereus.
“I will not hide the fact that at the personal level, after talking to the doctor and receiving scientific data, our family decided to vaccinate our 5 1/2 years old son,” Kereus said before taking his son, Loupas, to get his shot at the hospital Athena.
Italy, Spain and Hungary also expand their vaccination programs for younger children.
The European Union regulator last month approved the dose vaccine made by Pfizer-Biontech for use in the age group 5-11.
The two-month infection surge throughout Europe fell slightly in early December, but the appearance of the Omicron variant had created uncertainty.
Scientists think Omicron is very contagious, but they are not sure how dangerous it is.
The center of the disease and European control said on Tuesday that he expected Omicron to dominate the infection in the EU in the next few months.
It is recommended that the government consider restrictions related to travel and press forward with vaccination campaigns and shipping booster shots.
Vaccines for children are voluntary in all European Union countries and need parental approval.
The authorities in Spain have set ambitious targets to vaccinate younger children before Christmas and traditional family meetings.
Nearly 90% of the population of countries aged 12 and older have received two vaccine doses.
Poland, Portugal, Croatia and Slovenia plans to reduce their vaccine eligibility age later on.
Several hundred people protested Wednesday in front of the government headquarters in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, Wednesday.
The protesters shouted “Don’t kill our children” and “we will not give you our children.” Other UE countries take a careful approach to vaccinate younger children.
Germany has started a regional-based launch, the Netherlands is waiting until after the holidays, and France prioritizes children who suffer from heart and breathing problems, obesity, and diabetes.
England is slower than many European countries to start vaccinating children aged 12-15, and have not been approved vaccines for younger children.
Wei Shen Lim, a member of the United Kingdom Committee on vaccination and immunization, said the group was expected to make a decision before Christmas but was waiting for recommendations from the British regulator.
Bali Conservative Jeremy Hunt, a former Minister of Health, criticized the delay.
“Our regulator has become nimblest in the world, now too long,” he said.