Australian doctors have welcomed the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11. 

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in primary school-aged children, citing clinical trials, which have shown the vaccine is safe.

The rollout is scheduled to start early next year.

Infectious diseases paediatrician Robert Booy told Sofie Formica it’s perfectly safe.

“We now have two million North American children aged five to 11, who have been safely immunised with two doses, three weeks apart.

“We can be much more confident there isn’t a serious risk of a rare, but important adverse event.”

Dr Booy said in light of the delta and omicron variants, it’s important for children to be vaccinated to avoid transmission to more vulnerable people.

“It’s been channelling down teenagers and children, and the virus has been spreading quite remarkably.

“Omicron’s going to be an even bigger challenge, and I would predict it will be so hard to prevent.

“You’re better off working out how to live with it and getting everyone who’s vulnerable vaccinated, so they don’t get serious disease.”

Press PLAY below to hear Dr Booy’s explanation of vaccinations in full 

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