[File Photo]

The Health Ministry says vaccinating children will reduce the ability of COVID-19 to spread.

Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong says the scientific data available confirms that it is safe to vaccinate children.

“All vaccines go through a stringent process of working out whether it’s safe or not and at the end of the day just as when you trust the process when you take tablets and various medications that you take, the same way we have to treat the vaccine.”

From July 2nd, the ministry will deploy pediatric vaccines to children between the ages of 5 and 11.

Dr Fong says parents’ consent will be required and childhood vaccination is not mandatory yet unless the ministry finds a justification for it.

He adds that during the acute phase of the pandemic, the ministry recorded an outbreak in children, and vaccinating them will restrict the spread of the virus from children to the vulnerable population.

The Ministry says that as of yesterday, 138,808 individuals have so far received booster doses.