According to Ivane Chkhaidze, a member of the Immunization Council and the medical director of the Iashvili Central Children's Hospital, the country will start vaccinating children aged 12 to 15 from high-risk groups. He told reporters about it after the end of the Immunization Council.
According to him, the rate of coronavirus delta strain infection in children in Georgia has increased, so vaccinating children with chronic and congenital diseases is important to reduce the risk of infection and lethality. According to Ivane Chkhaidze, the Immunization Council approved the so-called vaccination of children from 12 to 15 years old. The German model has been approved and children can only be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.
"Delta Strain has changed the rate of infection in children a lot. This strain has rejuvenated the average age of the coronavirus, which is why so many countries have been vaccinating children aged 12-15 since May. Moreover, the U.S. Academy of Pediatrics has filed an application with the FDA to expedite the process of allowing vaccination in children ages 5 to 12.
We made that decision too. In Georgia, the "Delta" option is dominant, we also had a period in the country when the beds were not enough for pediatric patients, so much increased hospitalization in children.
Today, we proposed a German model, which in the first stage involves the vaccination of children with special health conditions. This is a condition associated with a high risk of hospitalization and death if infected. Congenital anomalies of the nervous system, various chronic diseases - heart, liver, etc.
In the first stage, vaccination of children in the country will start at risk, and then the Immunization Council will decide whether to expand these groups and whether vaccination of children between the ages of 12 and 15 will become a universal recommendation," said a member of the Immunization Council.
