OSLO (Reuters) -Norway will begin to offer COVID-19 vaccines to children aged 12 to 15, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Thursday.
Only the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is so far recommended for this age group, the Institute of Public Health said.
For the time being, only a first dose will be offered, while a decision on whether to offer a second dose will be made at a later time, Solberg said.
The country is currently seeing a rapid rise in infections, particularly among the young, and will postpone a further relaxation of social restrictions for the time being.
“The government will not proceed with a reopening at this time,” Solberg said.
Some 72% of all Norwegians have now received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 57% of the population is fully vaccinated, according to the Institute of Public Health.
(Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys Fouche and Victoria Klesty)
