Public health officials are “close” to determining whether a low-dose Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 will be extended to children ages five to 11, Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George has revealed, potentially providing another layer of protection whenever face-to-face classes resume.
But the CMO has indicated that the COVID vaccination rate should reach 70 per cent of children and adults before physical instruction ought to resume.
“We have multiple sources to examine and once those sources are brought to the attention of the public health team, we will make a determination,” Dr George told reporters on Tuesday.
“What I will tell you is that we are close to making a determination of approval of Pfizer vaccines between the ages of five to 12.”
Last Tuesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formally authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech shots for children ages five to 11 at one-third of the dosage for teens and adults. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had already authorised the shots for under-12s.
Following donations of medical equipment from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Dr George revealed that while Barbadian officials have examined evidence from the American agencies, they noted that neither the World Health Organisation (WHO) nor PAHO, the WHO’s regional office for the Americas, had made a definitive determination.
Dr George explained that while he could not speak for the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health officials is continuing to aim for inoculations of 70 per cent of the relevant populations before considering a return to the classroom.
He told Barbados TODAY: “We have indicated that we are looking at a threshold of 70 per cent of the eligible people because we can only vaccinate eligible people. So 70 per cent of the eligible school-aged population should be vaccinated.”
From Wednesday, the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was initially prioritised for shut-ins, is to be offered to adults from age 18 up.
The J&J jab is a first-time shot and will be available at all vaccination sites, the health ministry said, adding that people should walk with their national identification cards to receive the shot. (KS)
