Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians (SLCP) says that COVID-19 vaccination for children over 12 years of age is planned to be carried out in three phases.

The vaccination process will commence from the last week of September, SLCP member pediatrician Dr. R. M. Surantha Perera stated.

Children with chronic diseases will be vaccinated under the first phase of the vaccination, as per Dr. Perera.

“In the first phase, we hope to give the vaccine to children with complications. In the second phase, we will give the vaccine to A/L and O/L students. In the third stage, with everyone’s agreement, the vaccine will be given to the rest of the children, especially those over 12 years of age.

Children with complications will be vaccinated in late September. [We] request the parents to vaccinate their children if their child is over the age of 12, has a chronic illness, or symptoms of immunodeficiency.”

However, the final decision regarding the vaccination of children will be delivered on Monday (September 13), the pediatrician added.

It has also been decided to only give the US manufactured Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be given to children for the present, Dr. Perera added.

“The Pfizer vaccine and the Modern vaccine are widely used vaccines in the West, especially in the United States. Of these, the Pfizer vaccine is the most widely used.

It is important that we do not give a vaccine to children only to find out its effects later. All we have to do is adopt the methodology West has tried and tested. It benefits us. The United States has vaccinated millions. Yet, very few have complications.”

Dr. Perara further said, “According to the currently available stock of vaccines, it is not an issue to vaccinate children with complications. Because we need only about 60,000 to 70,000 doses.

All we have to do as professionals is take advantage of the opportunity to create a system and give the best to our children. “