LISBON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Portugal started vaccinating children ages 5-11 against COVID-19 on Saturday, said the country's Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
About 41,200 children were vaccinated on Saturday, with priority being given to those with comorbidities, it added.
According to the government forecast, a total of 77,000 children will receive vaccines formulated in pediatric doses by the Pfizer laboratory, with the second dose being administered between Feb. 5 and March 13 next year.
Deputy Secretary of State and Health Antonio Lacerda Sales said that all children up to 11 years old "may come to vaccination centers and receive the vaccine."
Portugal has surpassed the so-called "red line" of pandemic emergency with the highest incidence being children over 10 years of age.
Portuguese Health Minister Marta Temido revealed that the Omicron variant represents 20 percent of COVID-19 cases in the country.
"Based on estimates, we know that this variant could reach 50 percent by Christmas and 80 percent in the week of the end of the year," she told a press conference.
Portugal has reported another 5,062 infections and 12 deaths related to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, according to the DGS. Enditem
