Germany likely to offer COVID vaccines to children under 12 in early 2022: Health Minister

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said that the COVID-19 vaccination for children under the age of 12 is expected to be ready in the first quarter of 2022. Spahn also hopes that the vaccination for children to be approved by the start of next year. As per DW News, Jens Spahn informed the Funke media group that once the vaccination for the youngsters is given, they will be able to protect them better. He added that the Standing Committee on Vaccination at the Robert Koch Institute, also known as STIKO, will provide a suggestion on the COVID-19 vaccination for the children. 

BioNTech recently stated that it would submit an application for authorisation of its coronavirus vaccine for children between the ages of five to eleven in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, another medical body, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), indicated that there is an uncertainty to provide a clear timetable for prospective authorisation.   

COVID-19 vaccination in Germany

As per the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases, have over 52.5 million individuals in Germany had been completely immunised against Covid-19 disease as of Monday, thus, increasing the nation's immunisation record to 63.1 percent. At the same time, approximately one vaccination dosage has been given to over 56 million individuals.  

According to a CNBC report, Chancellor Angela Merkel urged unvaccinated Germans to obtain the vaccine. During her weekly podcast, she said that people may receive a dosage without needing an appointment that started from September 13 at mobile vaccination stations put up across the nation. She even added that the administration needed to encourage more individuals to get inoculated through the autumn and winter to safeguard themselves and others. 

Previously, according to data compiled by Our World in Data, Germany is currently trailing behind other European nations in terms of vaccination coverage. As per the CNBC report, authorities are now rushing to immunise as many individuals as possible before the autumn, when the cooler temperatures might help the virus grow and spread.  

COVID situation in Germany

In the past 24 hours, Germany witnessed 5328 new COVID-19 cases in the nation. According to the latest COVID numbers provided by the Worldometer, the total number of confirmed viral cases in Germany is 4,157,113, and the total number of deaths that happened due to COVID-19 is 93,632. While more than 3,909,300 have been recovered from the disease. Yet, the average number of COVID instances recorded in the last seven days is 8,821 instances. The number of active cases in the nation is 154,181, with 1,217 in critical condition.    

Image: Shutterstock/ Representative Image