China to vaccinate children from 3-11 years of age as new COVID cases emerge

As new COVID-cases have emerged again in some parts of China, the country has now decided to vaccinate children as young as 3 years old. Chinese authorities maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards outbreaks, and at least 76% population has been fully inoculated in the country, according to a report by The Associated Press (AP).

In the last few days, local city and provincial governments in at least five provinces have issued letters requiring children aged 3 to 11 years to get inoculated. The vaccine effort is being expanded as sections of China impose tighter restrictions in an attempt to contain small outbreaks. Following the discovery of new COVID-19 cases in Gansu, a northwestern region that is heavily reliant on tourism, banned all tourist destinations on Monday. Meanwhile, residents in regions of Inner Mongolia have been instructed to stay indoors.

Over the last 24 hours, the National Health Commission recorded 35 new cases of local transmission, four of which were in Gansu. Another 19 cases were discovered in Inner Mongolia, while others scattered around the country, reported the news agency. Throughout the pandemic, China has used lockdowns, quarantines, and mandatory testing in an attempt to largely eradicate local infection while fully vaccinating 1.07 billion individuals out of a population of 1.4 billion, the report stated.

The government is particularly concerned about tourists spreading the more contagious delta variant and having a largely vaccinated people in time ahead of the upcoming Winter Olympics in February 2022. International spectators have already been barred from the Games, and athletes will be enclosed in a bubble that separates them from the general public, the report added. Based on public data, China's most extensively used vaccines, from Sinopharm and Sinovac, have shown efficacy in reducing serious disease and virus transmission. However, the level of security they provide against the delta variant is yet to be determined, despite officials' assurances. 

China approves two vaccines for children

China approved two vaccines for children aged 3 to 17 years in June, Sinopharm's from the Beijing Institute of Biological Products and Sinovac, but it has only started vaccinating individuals aged 12 and up. Another, Sinopharm's from the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, was approved by regulators in August. Following China's approval of the vaccines for children, several international governments began administering the doses to youngsters in their countries. In Cambodia, children aged 6 to 11 years receive both Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines.

Chilean regulators have approved Sinovac for children as young as six years old. In Argentina, the Sinopharm vaccine has been approved for children as young as three years old. In September, Sinovac began an efficacy trial with 14,000 children from several nations. Smaller phase 1 and phase 2 trials were used to gain approval in China. On the basis of smaller phase 1 and phase 2 trials, Sinopharm's Beijing shot was also approved. Later on, they were published in peer-reviewed journals.

(With inputs from AP)

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