The administration of the vaccine started
According to Dr.
This particular formulation is administered in two doses at four to eight-week intervals between both doses.
"Vaccinating children against Covid-19 is already ongoing in other countries. The rationale is to protect the wider society from further pandemic impacts by closing the immunity gaps in the population," said Mpunga in a video announcing the roll out that was posted on social media.
He added that vaccinating children 5 to 11 years reduces circulation of virus in the community and limits the risk of further outbreaks in both healthy people and those vulnerable to severe Covid-19 such as pregnant women and older adults.
"The number of children
Statistics from Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) indicate that, as of
Vaccination will mainly be done at schools and according to Mpunga, the Ministry of Health is working with schools to ensure children pick up the consent forms, take them to their parents to sign and return them to schools or at the designated vaccination centers.
Information from the Ministry of Health indicates that, while Covid-19 tends to be milder in children compared with adults, it can make children very sick and cause children to be hospitalized. In some situations, the complications from infection can lead to death.
The role that young children play in transmission within households remains difficult to estimate because of their high prevalence of asymptomatic infection and the changing transmissibility of new variants.
Safety of the vaccine
Government has also assured the public of the vaccine safety also, the
"The efficacy and immunogenicity are similar or higher compared to adults; safety and profile in children and adolescents are similar to young adults.
In offering assurance for the safety of the vaccine, RBC indicates that COVID-19 vaccine ingredients are considered safe for most people. Nearly all of the ingredients in Covid-19 vaccines are ingredients found in many foods--fats, sugar, and salts.
None of the vaccines affect or interact with the DNA and vaccines do not contain preservatives, antibiotics, medicines or therapeutics, tissues, food proteins, metals or latex.
"After the body produces an immune response, it discards all of the vaccine ingredients, just as it would discard any substance that cells no longer need. This process is a part of normal body functioning," said RBC.
Meanwhile, as of
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