A major announcement has been made by Health Minister Greg Hunt, with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine being approved for children aged 12 to 15 years of age.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said the decision was made after clinical studies and careful evaluation. The Health Minister appeared on the Today Show to make the announcement, “Over the course of the period between now and mid-to-late August they will be assessing international data on 12 to 15-year-olds and we are quietly hopeful that will be a positive decision for the whole of population in which case we would then ensure that there’s rollout during the course of 2021 through a combination of schools and general access.”

While the vaccine rollout has been slow to start and progress within Australia, with much public criticism, the vaccine rollout plan for younger generations is still unknown and to be announced. The government’s immunisation advisory panel will be deciding who will be a priority for this vaccine in this age group, and whether they will prioritise for children with underlying health conditions. An announcement is expected next week around rollout timings for this younger age group.

Of course vaccines are a hot topic, and there has been criticism around how safe this will be for kids. Greg Hunt was confident, stating that other nations had already started their vaccine programs for under 18s. “With great respect, the United States is currently vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds,” the health minister, Greg Hunt stated.

According to abc.net.au, so far 10,654,563 does of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered around the country. At present 36.6% of Australians have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 14.98% have received both doses.
Will your children be receiving the COVID-19 vaccine once it’s open for under 18s?