Spain to vaccinate 12- to 17-year-olds before September

Spain said Friday it wants to offer COVID-19 vaccines to everyone aged between 12 and 17 before the start of the new school year in September.

Health Minister Carolina Darias told public television TVE the government will propose the measure to the public health commission which then must approve the move.

The plan is to immunise 12- to 17-year-olds "about two weeks before" the start of the new school year in September, she said.

The European Medicines Agency approved last week the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus jab for 12- to 15-year-olds, the first vaccine to get the green light for children in the EU.

France announced Wednesday it will start offering COVID-19 vaccines to all 12- to 18-year-olds from June 15.

Italy on Thursday opened vaccinations for everybody over the age of 12, while Germany has also said will be offered to children over the age of 12.

Spain, a nation of around 47 million people, is one of the European countries hardest hit by the pandemic, with over 80,000 COVID-19 deaths recorded so far.

The country plans to have 70 percent its population fully vaccinated by the end of the summer.

Just over one in five people, 21 percent, has been fully vaccinated while 39.5 percent have received at least one dose.

© 2021 AFP