Young children with severe medical risks received invites from their paediatricians to get their first coronavirus jab at a GGD location starting today.
Kinderen aged five to 11 with acute medical conditions such as severe asthma, congenital heart defect, or Down syndrome are the first to be invited to receive their vaccine, reports RTL Niewus.
The total number of children in this group to be covered by vaccines administrated by the Municipal Health Service (GGD) is estimated to be around 40,000, according to the NOS.
Very few children in this age group become seriously sick from coronavirus. However, “children who do end up in ICUs with coronavirus are children with underlying conditions,” says paediatric immunologist Emmeline Buddingh. “Vaccination therefore mainly helps these children,” she adds.
Child-size dosage
This group was cleared to receive the coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech in a child-sized modified dose.
The children’s injections contain 10 micrograms compared to the regular 30 micrograms received by adults. The first jab will be followed by a second one at least four weeks later.
If all goes as planned by the Dutch government, by January, the rest of the children in the Netherlands (aged five to 11) outside this at-risk group will qualify to receive the coronavirus vaccine as well.
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