Photo/Illutration A boy in Maryland in the United States receives a COVID-19 vaccine. (Yuko Lanham)

Following similar recommendations and successful campaigns overseas, children between the ages of 5 and 11 in Japan can begin receiving COVID-19 vaccinations from next March. 

An advisory panel of experts under the health ministry on Dec. 23 approved the proposal to give Pfizer vaccines to children.

A formal decision will be made after the vaccine clears a pharmaceutical assessment in January.

The panel heard about reports from abroad concerning vaccinations of children and confirmation was made about the effectiveness of the vaccines for children between 5 and 11.

For example, in a U.S. clinical test involving about 2,300 children, the vaccine was found to have a 90.7-percent effectiveness in preventing infection one week after the second jab was given.

Another analysis conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of about 41,000 subjects concerning side effects from the vaccine found only minor problems such as pain where the shot was given. Only about 1 percent of the cases required further medical treatment to deal with any side effects.

According to health ministry officials, the United States, Canada and Israel are recommending that all children between 5 and 11 receive the Pfizer vaccine, while Germany has limited the vaccines to children with pre-existing medical conditions.

Panel members who are experts in infectious diseases presented the results of a simulation that found children 11 and younger who did not receive vaccinations would be more likely to develop serious symptoms.

One expert said there would be an almost certain increase in new cases if a simulation was conducted using the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

In the wake of such reports, no panel member raised objections to vaccinating children between 5 and 11.

One issue that was left unresolved was whether to call on guardians to have their children receive the jabs.

The Immunization Law has a provision that while not making vaccinations legally mandatory, calls on those covered to make efforts to receive vaccines.

One panel member said asking guardians to make such efforts would make it easier for those working to ask their employers for time off to take their children to get the shots.

But others said it was difficult to determine what difference would be made by making such a request and said discussions should only continue after it became clear what the difference was.

Health ministry officials said they would define the provision in a clearer manner and present it in the next meeting in January.

The vaccines for children will be different from the ones already given to adults. Pfizer applied for permission in November with the health ministry to manufacture and sell a vaccine for children.

If approval is granted, the vaccine would be imported from February for delivery to local governments.

Health ministry officials are calling on local governments to begin preparations to secure the needed medical institutions where the vaccines can be given.

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