A health worker prepares COVID-19 vaccine for administering people at a vaccination point in Vientiane. (Photo: VNA)Vientiane(VNA) – The Lao government begins nationwide rollout of COVID-19 vaccination forchildren aged 6 to 11 from February 21.
The programme is part of the government's efforts to ensure that people across the country are vaccinated againstCOVID-19 and protected against the Omicron variant.
The vaccinations are scheduled to take place in the provinces of Huaphan,Xieng Khuang, Oudomxay, Savannakhet and Xaysomboun from February 21 to March 4.
In other provinces and Vientiane capital, the vaccination rollout is scheduled forMarch 4-19.
However, localities that are ready can start inoculating children from February 21.
After children in this age group have been vaccinated, health authoritieswill consider the possibility of immunising children aged 3-5.
As of February 17, 65.8 percent of the population had received the firstdose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 58 percent had been fully vaccinated. Laos is carrying out booster jabs for its residents.
Although the number of infections is decliningwith about 200 cases per day, Lao health authorities have warned that theOmicron strain has the ability to spread quickly, so people need to be morecautious and restrict from participation in activities that gather in largenumbers.
Regarding the COVID-19 situationin Laos, the country’s Ministry of Health on February 21 said that 218 newinfections were recorded in the past 24hours, bringing the total caseload to 141,301, including 612 death./.
