Doha: The first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11 years will arrive in Qatar in January, a senior health official said.
Speaking to Qatar TV, Chief of Paediatric Infectious Disease and Medical Director of Outpatient Clinics at Sidra Medicine, Dr Mohammad Janahi urged families to get their children vaccinated once the campaign begins in Qatar.
He also said that studies have shown that this age group contributes to 63 percent of Covid-19 transmissions, especially among unvaccinated people.
“The vaccine is safe and effective for kids and no unusual symptoms were detected during studies, only minor side effects were reported,” he confirmed in the TV show.
Al Janahi explained that the dose given to children 5 to 11 years is less compared to the one given to adults.
"With regard to vaccination with Pfizer for age group of 5 to 11 years, the dose has been reduced to one third. For example, from the age of 12 years and above, they are given 30 micrograms, and 5-11 years are given only 10 micrograms,” he explained.
Kids will be also given two doses with three weeks between them.
