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Added on the 09/11/2021 20:53:04 - Copyright : France 24 EN
The EU's drug regulator approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine for children between the ages of five and 11 on Thursday, paving the way for them to be given a first shot as Europe struggles with a surge in cases.
Several European nations started vaccinating children aged five to 11 against Covid-19 on Wednesday in an effort to contain a raging pandemic and keep schools open. In France, vaccination has only been approved for five to 11-year-olds at risk of developing serious illness, but the government has said it is considering extending it to all children on a voluntary basis.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called for an acceleration of Covid-19 booster shots for elderly and vulnerable citizens. Before France, Israel was the first country to vaccinate, then the first to widely implement a booster shot campaign.
In a TV address the French president said over-65s will need COVID booster jabs to extend their health passes from mid-December.
President Joe Biden receives his Covid-19 booster shot in line with US government health authorities' guidelines at the White House in Washington, DC.