Tuscany is ready to deliver the COVID vaccine for those between the ages of 5 and 11. The region has an estimated 215,000 children who can be immunized with the help of two doses. Booking for an appointment on the website begins on December 10 at 2 pm, with the administration of the vaccine starting on December 16.
The Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA, the Italian equivalent of the FDA) approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine at the beginning of this month, with different regions choosing a date in either mid or late December. The dose will be given in a 10 microgram (µg) dosage as opposed to the 30 µg for those aged 12 and under. A period of three weeks will be elapse between the first and the second dose. The region’s major vaccination centers are open to children, including Mandela Forum, I Gigli and others. The area designated for children, with colorful balloons, will host entertainment: doctors dressed as clowns, cartoons shown on TV monitors, and tables where kids can draw.
Alternatively, a family pediatrician can be contacted to make an appointment for a direct appointment in a doctor’s office.
Although providing this vaccine will prove effective in protecting children from COVID, at the moment it is not mandatory for anyone younger than 12 as it does not come with a Green Pass, issued as a requirement to everyone else, concurrently with the shot. (nelson matos)
To read more in Italian, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.
