Cyprus to Start COVID-19 Vaccination of Children 12 and Over | Business News

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS, Associated Press

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) – Cyprus will begin voluntary COVID-19 vaccination of children over the age of 12 next week, using mRNA recordings from Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna, authorities said on Friday.

Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela said Cyprus is following other countries in the European Union, including France, Germany, Italy and Greece, which have started vaccinating children between the ages of 12 and 15.

Parents and guardians consent is a prerequisite for all vaccinations of children in Cyprus. Hadjipantela urged young people to get the injection and officials said the average age of those infected over the past 14 days was 28 years.

“The world’s scientific community agrees that those who have not yet been vaccinated are most at risk,” Hadjipantela told reporters.

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However, some critics say that vaccinating children and younger populations in richer countries creates inequality in developing countries that have difficulty getting enough doses to vaccinate even their most vulnerable populations.

Hadjipantela also announced that the mandatory “SafePass” display – electronic or paper documentation showing either a vaccination, infection in the past six months, or a negative PCR test in the past 72 hours – will be expanded in outdoor restaurants, bars and restaurants Club areas as well as shopping centers and other retail outlets must now display “SafePass” in nursing homes and hospitals.

The “SafePass” move has sparked a wave of disillusionment among those who say it is yet another attack on their right to assemble and go where they want.

Thousands of people protested the move, while 26 people were arrested after an attack on Dias Media Group’s headquarters in the capital Nicosia on July 18, during which they smashed the lobby and set cars on fire. Some protesters who speak out against vaccination against COVID-19 have targeted Dias for what they believe to be overly critical of the group’s views on vaccines.

In the meantime, foreign nationals traveling to Cyprus must undergo a PCR test one week after their stay. The only exceptions are travelers who have been vaccinated or recovered from COVID-19 in the last three months.

In Cyprus, COVID-19 infections rose last month to their highest level since the pandemic began. More than 98,000 people have been infected with COVID-19 so far, which corresponds to more than 10% of the population of the island state in the eastern Mediterranean.

The death toll from the coronavirus now stands at 415 as the country’s health system is under increasing strain as more than 80 people are currently hospitalized in serious condition.

Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at:

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/07/30/cyprus-to-start-covid-19-vaccination-of-children-12-and-over-business-news/