Israel approves Covid jabs for 12-15 year olds

Israel's ministry of health has approved Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for use in adolescents ages 12 to 15 year olds, reported Globes.

However, the ministry refrained from giving a sweeping recommendation, saying instead that the vaccine should be administered to those who are interested in it.

It did urge all those in high-risk groups, or who live with a high-risk individual, or who wish to travel abroad to get the inoculation.

According to Globes, the ministry took into account new data about a rare inflammation to the heart muscle in young people who received the Pfizer vaccine and weighed it against the risks of contracting COVID-19.

The experts decided that even though about one in 50,000 people who receive the Pfizer vaccine developed the heart muscle inflammation, and slightly more among young people, mainly men, the benefits still outweigh the risks of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, talks are being held with the health funds on how to conduct the vaccine rollout in the adolescent age group. The vaccinations will likely be administered at health fund clinics rather than in schools or elsewhere.