Talks to fine-tune the rollout vaccination campaign for children between the age of five and 11 years old are being made.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is working to get this started as it began the vaccination for children between 12 years and 14 this week.

Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong said they were working there needed to be more talks with development partners.

“That is why a timeline is yet to be determined,” he said.

However this is not far off.”

“Two weeks ago, the United States Centre for Disease Control endorsed the recommendation that children five to 11 years old be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine.”

On November 10, the White House announced that more than 900,000 children between five and 11 years old had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Education response

Minister for Education Premila Kumar said schools opened nationwide on November 29.

She said schools were ready to welcome students as young as five years old, and all efforts have been put towards making the teaching environment safer.

This is after discussions between the Ministry of Health and her ministry COVID-safe measures have been put in place.

She said the decisions were made after thorough research.

She said vaccination for children was not compulsory and it would remain that way.

However, she emphasised that more the number of children who were vaccinated, the lesser the chances of COVID-19 spread.

Parents give mix response

Atin Maharaj said he wanted his children vaccinated because when school opened they would mix with other children.

Nilesh Prasad said he was not sure if he should get his children vaccinated.

Sereana Nokelevu said she would get her children vaccinated because this would be the safest thing to do.

Sakaraia Vonotabua just returned to work at a resort in Nadi.

He said vaccination stopped with him and did not want his children vaccinated.

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