Costa guarantees that Portugal is able to vaccinate children. First doses arrive in December – Coronavirus
The prime minister, António Costa, guaranteed this Thursday that Portugal has “conditions” to carry out vaccination against the summit of 19 children from the age of five. The leader of the professional Socialist Executive said that the first doses of Pfizer’s vaccine should arrive in the country by December 20th.
“If the decision of the technical commission on vaccination comes to be [de vacinar crianças a partir dos cinco anos de idade], we have the necessary conditions to be able to carry out the vaccination that may be recommended”, assured António Costa, at the press conference where the new measures to curb the pandemic were supported.
António Costa underlined that it is up to the scientific authorities to decide whether Portugal will vaccinate children between the ages of 5 and 11, after this Thursday the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave the ‘green light’ to the vaccination of children in these age groups, with a dose of Comirnaty, by Pfizer, inferior to that used in children aged 12 and over. While this decision has not arrived (the national vaccination commission is only due to pronounce itself next week), the Government has already tried to “acquire in a timely manner the doses that may be necessary”. “We will be prepared to ensure the vaccination of approximately 637,907 children who are eligible for vaccination,” said António Costa.
The leader of the Executive said that the first batch of vaccines from Pfizer will arrive in Portugal on December 20, with a total of 300,000 doses. In January, the delivery schedule agreed with the pharmaceutical company also provides for the delivery of “another 462,000 vaccines” to be administered to children, in accordance with “the parents’ wishes”.