The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The Health Minister Dasho Dechen Wangmo said that the vaccines for the children from ages 5 to 11 is expected to come soon and the aim is to start vaccinating them by early March.
Lyonpo said that Bhutan will be the first country in the WHO South-East Asia Region of 13 countries to vaccinate children of this age.
The National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) has already cleared the virus to be safe to be given to children.
There are around 83,000 children in this age group.
The vaccines will be coming in just in time for the start of the school season and will provide a sight of relief for many parents.
The 12 to 17 age group had already been vaccinated earlier.
The original plan was to use the Pfizer doses to vaccinate the 5 to 11 group but this was not fund to be possible as the doses would have to be diluted and given in very small quantities to this age group which could lead to impurities entering the vaccines.
So it was felt that the pediatric version would be best and the earlier Pfizer stock was used for booster doses while a new order for pediatric Pfizer doses was placed for 5 to 11.
