SSM to acquire jabs for children aged six months to five years old

Local health authorities are planning to acquire mRNA vaccines specifically designed for babies and children aged between six months and five years old as soon as possible, the local coordinator of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Leong Iek Hou, said during Tuesday’s press briefing of the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center.

In response to a media inquiry, Leong said that the health authorities have already made contact with the supplier of the mRNA vaccines for children aged five to 11 years old, to see when they could supply the specially designed jabs for the younger population, but there is not a timeline yet for the availability of the product.

“We know that vaccination can be [administered to] children below the age of 5 years old but we are still studying and checking which vaccines are more effective [for the younger children]. We already have stock for the mRNA vaccines for the population of 5 to 11 years old, which allowed us to lower the vaccination age from the previous 12 years old to five,” she said, adding, “We are checking [whether] the same supplier can supply for the six months to five years old [age group] but since this is a new vaccine and not a restock of a previous one, we also need a new tendering process [for the acquisition].”

Leong also added that the Sinopharm inactivated virus vaccine is already approved for use in children aged three or older, but the authorities are still collecting data on the effects of this vaccine on the younger group, as well as trying to acquire the BioNTech vaccine that can be used for a wider age group.

The acquisition of the vaccine from the Health Bureau (SSM) also depends on the demand from Macau society for such a vaccine, she said.