A total of two million children under the age range of 5 to 11 years in Rwanda will be inoculated in the wake to meet the government’s plan of vaccinating 70% of its population by 2022.
Tharcisse Mpunga, the State Minister in charge of Primary Healthcare, said the plan will reduce the risks of Covid-19 transmission among children and encouraged parents to cooperate toward the implementation of the government’s plan.
“There are a number of children who died because of Covid-19. We, therefore, encourage parents whose children are between 5 to 11 years to sign the consent form to authorize their vaccination. We are working with schools so that the consent forms reach their parents.” he said, adding that “Let us join hands to fight against Covid-19.”
According to Mpunga inoculating children has been successful in reducing the higher risks of illness of Covid-19 in other countries where the program has been put into practice.
He said the Pfizer doses are scientifically proven to reduce the risks of COVID among children of the age bracket between 5 and 11 years.
Also according to research, a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine has the capacity of reducing the risks of COVID infection in children.
According to Health officials, the Pfizer vaccine (10 microgramme/dose) is approved by different regulatory bodies including Rwanda Food and Drug Authority and World Health Organization.
This month the US government through USAID donated a total of 254,400 doses of Covid-19 pediatric vaccines designed for children between 5 and 11, as part of the US government’s commitment to donate 1 billion doses of vaccines.
Data show that the side effects of injection of the doses among the children are common with arm tenderness and local pain and the most serious headache and were less common. Studies indicate that very few cases of children were hospitalized due to post-vaccination effects.
The doses will be administered in two doses at four to eight-week intervals between both doses.
Currently, Rwanda has so far administered at least 22,931,472 doses of Covid-19 as per the Ministry of Health.
RBC statistics indicate that 4,3688 cases of Covid-19 were reported in Rwanda among children aged 5 to 11 years representing 3.3% of total cases.
