China is lowering the minimum age of vaccination yet again, this time mandating that toddlers take the shot.
China announced in recent days it will begin vaccinating children age 3 and up against COVID-19. Local city- and provincial-level governments in at least five Chinese provinces issued notices announcing children age 3-11 are required to get vaccinated, according to Associated Press.
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China’s most widely used vaccines, Sinopharm and Sinovac, were approved in June 2021, and both have shown to be efficient in preventing severe disease and the transmission of COVID-19. Sinovac was approved for use in children age 3 to 17, but up until now has only been used for children 12 and older, the outlet reported.
A study by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech found their version of the COVID-19 vaccine is over 90% effective in children age 5-11. The two companies are seeking an emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for use in this age demographic.
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China has already vaccinated most of its population. Of the 1.4 billion residents who live in the country, 1.15 billion have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, while 1.01 billion have been fully vaccinated, according to the World Health Organization.
The country is also set to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in February. Tickets for the sporting event will only be sold to Chinese residents, and players who are not vaccinated will be required to quarantine for 21 days when landing in Beijing.
