Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 to help develop their immunity against COVID-19.
According to FDA Secretary-General Paisarn Dunkum, the Pfizer jab is the first to be approved for young children after having previously only been allowed for use on youths aged 12 and older.
Dr Surachoke Tangwiwat, deputy secretary-general for the FDA, said the FDA is also considering offering children inactivated vaccines produced by China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm. He noted that the administration was basing its consideration on safety data acquired from studies in Indonesia, South America and the Middle East.
Public health agencies are meanwhile still searching for unvaccinated individuals, particularly those in high risk groups that include senior citizens over the age of 60, pregnant women and people with underlying illnesses. They are also working with local administrative organizations to accelerate vaccine rollouts for hill-tribe communities and migrant workers.
Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, said the ministry will still propose that the government consider easing restrictions to assist the economic recovery and help people resume their daily lives. (NNT)