Asklepios Children's Hospital in Sankt Augustin Rhein-Sieg-Kreis sets up vaccination centre for children
Sankt Augustin · The Rhein-Sieg district wants to set up a vaccination centre for children between five and eleven years of age as of December 17. To this end, the district is cooperating with the children's hospital in Sankt Augustin.
In future, there will also be a central vaccination centre for children between the ages of five and eleven in the Rhein-Sieg district. The district announced on Monday that it has commissioned the Asklepios Children's Hospital in Sankt Augustin to offer vaccinations to this group of people. This is part of a cooperation agreement between the district and the children's hospital, which continues the successful cooperation in the fight against Corona. Until the end of September, the district's vaccination centre was already housed on the grounds of the children's hospital.
At the presentation of the vaccination centre in Meckenheim, which will start operations on Tuesday, District Administrator Sebastian Schuster named Friday, December 17 as the start date for the central vaccinations for children under twelve. Last week, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) rated Biontech's vaccine as safe and effective for children five years and older, giving it the green light for approval in this age group.
However, the recommendation of the Standing Commission on Vaccination (Stiko) is still pending. It should be available by the end of the year, "if possible by the start of delivery of the children's vaccine to the Länder", said Stiko chairman Thomas Mertens. The Mainz-based company Biontech and the US corporation Pfizer have announced that they will begin Europe-wide delivery of the childhood vaccine on December 13. At the beginning of December, Health Minister Jens Spahn had announced that the vaccine would be available on December 20.
For children between five and eleven years of age, the vaccine differs from that for the age group of twelve years and older only in the dose: they get ten instead of 30 micrograms. In principle, children in this age group may already be vaccinated now if the doctor considers it medically necessary. (Original text: Andrea Ziech / Translation: Mareike Graepel)
