Indonesia starts inoculating children aged 6-11

Indonesia will begin inoculating COVID-19 vaccine for children aged between 6 and 11 in areas that have achieved the government’s target, a senior official has said.

A student in Aceh province, Indonesia receives a COVID-19 vaccine shot. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Wiku Adisasmito, spokesperson of the Indonesian Government's COVID-19 Task Force, said that the vaccination for children within the age group can be carried out in areas with more than 70 percent of the population getting the first shot of the vaccine and 60 percent of the elderly completing vaccination

He also emphasised that the children's immunisation programme is mandatory to promote the full opening of schools at all educational levels.

Previously, the Indonesian Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency has authorised the emergency use of China's Sinovac vaccine for children aged 6-11. In addition, Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the agency is conducting clinical trials of Sinopharm and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines on children./.

VNA