MOVES to grant provisional approval for the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (COVAX) in children aged five to 11 years will fill the missing link in Australia's vaccination campaign, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) believes.
With legislative changes required to enable pharmacists in the ACT, NSW and Tasmania, to administer the shots to children under 12 years, PSA National President, Associate Professor Chris Freeman, said the profession would play a key role in meeting the demand for children to be immunised.
"This is welcomed news for Australian parents, whose children will soon be able to book in for their COVID-19 vaccinations -- I know many would like their children vaccinated before the start of the 2022 school year.
"In recent months we've seen unvaccinated children return to high-risk settings such as classrooms, and as expected, many schools have subsequently become exposure sites," he said.
"PSA believes that it is imperative that all Australian children can access COVID-19 vaccinations in order to keep themselves, their families and the community safe.
"Opening up to this age bracket now means that there are 2.3 million children who will be in need of vaccination, at the same time as the majority of Australians become eligible to receive their booster dose over the coming months.
"Given this, it is imperative that pharmacists are paid fairly for their vaccination services, and at least equally to other health providers.
"Vaccination is the best way to ensure these susceptible populations and their families are protected against the virus -- plugging the hole in national immunity.
"Pharmacists are trained and experienced in vaccinating younger age groups against other vaccine-preventable diseases and are now ready to protect them against COVID-19.
"Given the expedient uptake from the 12-15 age bracket, now at 76.6% first dose and 67.5% double dose, we are confident that public demand will be high for 5-11s."
Freeman added that the PSA would be working with authorities to ensure pharmacists have access to up-to-date advice regarding the vaccine's safety and effectiveness.
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