South Africa will begin vaccinating children as young as 12 next week and also offer Covid-19 boosters against certain immune disorders, the health minister announced Friday.
With a large youth population and the world’s biggest HIV caseload, the announcement affects millions of people and marks a significant scaling up of South Africa’s pandemic response.
“We ready to open up vaccination for children between 12-17 years of age, and a majority of this cohort are in the secondary or high school level,” Health Minister Joe Phaahla told a news conference.
Under South African law, children aged 12 and up can give their own consent for medical treatment, meaning they don’t need parental permission to get the vaccine.