Sri Lanka to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children between the ages of 15 and 19 years, based on the medical recommendation.
The decision was taken at the online meeting of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Control chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa this morning (September 17).
The President Gotabaya Rajapaksa inquired about the vaccination programme for the children and Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena pointed out that the Committee of Health Experts has recommended that vaccine priority be given to children between the ages of 12-19 years who are suffering from chronic diseases.
The Director General of Health Services stated that they have planned to conduct the vaccination only at the relevant clinics with the permission of the parents, subject to the supervision of the clinical specialist.
The President inquired about the vaccination of healthy children in the age group of 12-15 years from the Medical Specialists Committee. The Committee noted that the rest of the world has not yet moved towards this, and that the vaccines are currently recommended for everyone between the ages of 15 and 19.
Accordingly, the President instructed to complete the vaccination of all children between the ages of 15 and 19 expeditiously and to administer the vaccine only in hospitals. The President explained the importance of properly educating the parents in this regard.
The President also instructed that all children be given only the Pfizer vaccine as recommended by the Specialists Committee.