EU's CDC Recommends Prioritizing High-Risk Children Aged 5 To 11 For COVID-19 Shots

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommended on Wednesday that five-to-11-year-olds at risk of severe COVID-19 should be prioritized for vaccination, as in other age groups

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st December, 2021) The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommended on Wednesday that five-to-11-year-olds at risk of severe COVID-19 should be prioritized for vaccination, as in other age groups.

The EU drug regulator last week cleared the Pfizer vaccine for use in children aged 5 to 11 years.

The EU-wide rollout in this age group was brought forward by a week to December 13 amid mounting concerns over the emergence of new strains.

"Children aged 5-11 years who are at risk of severe COVID-19 should be considered a priority group... (C)onsideration could be given to the vaccination of all children aged 5-11 years," the CDC said in an interim report.

The CDC noted a rise in hospitalization rates among children aged 5 to 11, although it said they remained at much lower levels than in adults. Increasing vaccination rates in the adult population is still the main priority, it added.