The Danish National Board of Health has recommended that children aged between five and 11 should be able to get vaccinated against Covid-19, becoming the first EU nation to make the move.
On Friday, Helene Probst, Deputy Director of the National Board of Health, told the press that the decision came at a time of concern for the Nordic nation, as Covid cases continue to rise. “We have seen a worrying infection in the hospitals, and that the number of hospitalizations has risen to over 400,” she stated.
The board’s recommendation comes after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended on Thursday that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine could be safely used in children from the age of five.
Probst stated that while children in the age group were not at risk of developing severe Covid-19, vaccinating them could help protect family and friends. “We want to break those chains of infection with the vaccination,” she added.
The National Board of Health is yet to set a specific target for how many 5- to 11-year-olds should be vaccinated. “But if we reach 70 percent, then it will be good,” Probst told the media.
The government has created a booklet for parents, informing them about vaccinating their young children.
