Morocco is considering the possibility of extending the vaccination campaign to include children aged 5-11, as part of the country’s efforts to avoid the surge of the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
Ever since the first Omicron case was discovered on December 15, the North African country has recorded 28 cases, with an additional 46 suspected cases, said the Health Ministry as of Tuesday, December 21.
Casablanca and Rabat reported the highest numbers of cases of the new variant with 13 and 12 cases respectively. The Fez-Meknes region recorded 4 cases.
Said Moutawakil, a member of the Scientific Committee that oversees the vaccination campaign, said in a statement to Hespress it is possible to expand the vaccination campaign to children aged 5 to 11 years old.
Moutawakil said the scientific committee is studying the possibility of involving this age group. He added that the Ministry of Health and Social Protection will ultimately decide on the issue at hand.
The same spokesperson noted that several countries included children in their vaccination campaigns, stressing that “even countries that opposed the idea are applying it nowadays.”
“Children’s vaccination comes as a result of the Omicron and Delta variants that affect even this age group,” he explained.
The Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, and France have all begun vaccinating children aged 5 to 11. If this target age group does not receive the anti-Covid-19 vaccine shots, their immunity will be affected and they will be vulnerable to the fast-spreading Omicron virus, which could affect their parents as well.
In EU countries, children are administered a lower dose of the Pfizer vaccine, which is provided in pediatric clinics and public vaccination centers.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.