Germany is planning to make enough COVID-19 vaccine doses available to be able to offer a first dose to children 12-16 years of age from June 7, stated Chancellor Angela Merkel.

With over 40% of its population of nearly 83 million inoculated with at least one dose, attention is now moving to vaccinating the country’s adolescents.

Merkel said at a news conference that all the citizens will be offered a vaccination by the end of summer. This also includes 12- to 16-year-olds, Merkel added. Children and adolescents can apply for vaccination appointment as the prioritization ends, which will generally be lifted on June 7. Experts have a divided opinion on vaccinating children against COVID-19, as some scientists say that owing to a scarcity of data on long-term effects, it might be better to vaccinate only adolescents who have known risk factors… (Reuters, May 27, 2021)