LNP – Convene ACCD to inoculate Pfizer for 16-19 age group healthy children: GMOA requests Health DG

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) requested the Health Services Director General to convene the Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (ACCD) to get permission to administer the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to children between the ages of 16 and 19 who are healthy and free from health complications.

The GMOA requested to conduct the vaccination programme as the second phase of the vaccination rollout for children between the ages of 12-19 who have comorbidity issues.

Following a request from the GMOA, the government has successfully started administering Pfizer vaccine to children suffering from various diseases under the supervision of specialist doctors at designated hospitals island wide, they said.

However, administering the first dose of Pfizer vaccine to children who are healthy and aged between 16 and 19 has been approved by a special technical committee appointed by the Health Ministry. The approval of the ACCD is required to kick off vaccinating children in said age group.

Arrangements have already been made to administer the vaccine at designated hospitals across the country and it was reported that the required number of vaccines are already in stock.

The GMOA also pointed out that, if the Health Services Director General convenes the ACCD in the in due course to obtain the technical decision required for vaccination, it would immensely help to control the overall COVID pandemic by providing it to a large number of children and it will also enable the reopening of schools in the near future.