New Zealand is approving the Pfizer vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has announced.
The move follows Canada, the US, Europe, and Japan, all of whom have approved Pfizer for the 12-15 age cohort.
Ardern said while children were less likely to suffer serious illness from Covid-19, there were cases of children getting sick, and they could also transmit the virus. “Put simply – when our children are vaccinated, their teachers, friends, siblings, parents and grandparents are more protected from the virus too. So it’s in all of our interests for this group to get the vaccine,” Ardern said.
The country’s medical regulator, Medsafe, had completed its assessment and provided “provisional consent”, meaning Pfizer must meet conditions including supplying more data from clinical trials as they progress.
“Medsafe’s approval has been a very carefully considered and robust process, with safety the key priority,” Ardern said.
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She said there were about 265,000 children in the age bracket, and New Zealand’s existing order contained enough doses to cover the group.
Medsafe approval is the first and most significant step toward vaccination for children, but the move will still need final sign-off from the ministry of health. A decision from the ministry is expected later this month, and 12- to 15-year-olds would not be vaccinated before then.
New Zealand is still in the early stages of its vaccine rollout, with about 7.7% of the adult population vaccinated. The rollout has so far focused on targeting specific vulnerable groups, including border workers and their families, high-risk frontline workers, older people, and those with pre-existing conditions.
The vaccine rollout for the general adult population is due to start in July, and will be staggered by age group, reaching under-35s in October.