Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5-11 to arrive next month
Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11 that the government has ordered from Pfizer will be delivered to Thailand by the end of January, or by early February the latest, Department of Disease Control (DDC) revealed on Wednesday.
“Vaccines for children are currently in high demand globally, and Thailand is quite lucky to get one this fast,” said Dr Sumanee Watcharasin, director of DDC’s Risk Communication and Health Behaviour Development Office. “Once we get the Pfizer vaccine we will start administering to children under school-based system. In the early phase children from 9-11 years old will get the vaccine first.”
Sumanee added that Pfizer’s vaccine for children has a different formula from the one used in adults. “Children will require 10 micrograms per dose, while adults will require 30 micrograms per dose. We cannot divide adult vaccine that we have into three portions and use in children,” she said.
“Currently the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is registering inactivated vaccines to be used in children, namely Sinovac and Sinopharm,” said Sumanee. “The vaccines will need to be approved by the National Vaccine Institute’s Immunity Promotion Subcommittee before it can be used in Thailand. Once they are approved, parents will have more choices of Covid-19 vaccines that their children can get on voluntary basis.”