Children aged 5-11 to get vaccinated against Omicron by February
Children aged 5-11 who have not been vaccinated are expected to be administered their first dose against the new Omicron variant by February, Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha said on Thursday after visiting the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health.
The ministry simulated three scenarios regarding the Omicron situation – the most severe, moderate and least severe.
Children who are not vaccinated are among the group of most concern.
Satit asked all hospitals to be prepared to treat these children.
He said the government expects to start vaccinating children aged 5-11 with Pfizer sometime in February, while stressing that these children should be vaccinated as soon as possible in order to build immunity to fight the coronavirus.
However, he said, information on Omicron at this time shows the variant is not as severe as the others.
He advised people travelling during the New Year holidays to consider the risks and attend activities preferably in open spaces, where the chance of getting infected is less.