FDA approves Pfizer vaccine for teens

The Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for children ages 15 and up, widening the Ghana population that will be protected against the virus and bolstering chances for a safe return to full-time school after the Christmas and New Year festivities.

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) on Monday, November 16, 2021, gave the approval for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to children between 15 and 17 years.

Until the approval on Monday, the national vaccination plan only captured people 18 years and above.

The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye disclosed this to Graphic Online and said “this is a very important news for us because the most active group for us are the young ones in that age.”

Vaccinating that group, he said, will help reduce school outbreaks especially for those in school and also help reduce transmission to adults.

He added that it will help Ghana to achieve proper herd immunity.

Currently, data shared by the GHS as of October 21 indicated that Ghana had taken delivery of 1,330,290 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, however, the Director-General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye says the country was expecting more of the Pfizer vaccine soon.