Starting Friday, the Government of Barbados will begin administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children age 12 to 18.
Minister of Education Santia Bradshaw made the announcement via a vdeo released on Wednesday.
She said the decision was made after consultation with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, some Parent-Teacher Associations and the umbrella body, the National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations.
“Several of the island’s most notable paediatricians, have already expressed their full support for the rollout of the vaccine to teens and pre-teens, with priority given to children with chronic diseases and especially those with special needs,” Bradshaw said.
As the only COVID-19 vaccine approved by the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Minister said it would help with the return to face-to-face classes as health officials agree “vaccines will add another layer of protection to our population”.
But not everyone is willing to have their child vaccinated and Bradshaw said they would continue the public education programmes to help the undecided.
On Friday, vaccination centres at Harrison College, Princess Margaret Secondary School, Parkinson Memorial, St Leonard’s Boys’, Christ Church Foundation School, the Seventh Day Adventist Church in St Peter, Sharon Moravian, Jackson, St Thomas, will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Bradshaw said more centres would be opened in the coming weeks.
