Which countries are vaccinating children against Covid-19?

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The UAE government on Sunday urged parents to vaccinate children over the age of three ahead of the new school year.

A major inoculation drive was launched as more than one million pupils prepare to get back to classes on August 29. After a 30-day grace period from August 29 to September 29, unvaccinated pupils over 12 will be tested every week.

Unvaccinated children under 12 will be tested once per month - likely with a saliva test rather than nasal swab - as will vaccinated children over 12.

The announcement, by a federal government spokeswoman live on television on Sunday, was for "all schools".

But private school regulators, including in Dubai, are expected to set out their own rules in the coming days.

In early August, the authorities approved the use of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 3 to 17. The decision by the Ministry of Health and Prevention came after a trial involving 900 children in Abu Dhabi.

Along with China, the Emirates would be among the first nation to vaccinate under 12s.

In May, the UAE approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 on an emergency basis after successful clinical trials and assessments.

The National takes a look at the global approach to immunising children during the pandemic.

Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, speaks to a girl as she waits to receive a vaccine dose in a new Sinopharm trial for children.
Nine hundred children aged between 3 and 17 will receive the doses in the trial.
Volunteers are checked for side effects and monitored.
A girl gives a thumbs-up as she undergoes a basic medical check.
Although most adults have now received at least one vaccine shot, most children are not inoculated against the virus.
In Dubai, vaccines have already been given to some children aged 12 to 15, and to many aged between 16 and 18.

China

China approved emergency use of the Sinovac vaccine in those aged between 3 and 17 on June 3.

Preliminary results from clinical trials showed the vaccine could trigger immune response in 3 to 17-year-olds, and most adverse reactions were mild.

Indonesia

The country approved the China's Sinovac vaccine for children aged 12 to 17 on June 28.

Singapore

The city state widened its vaccination programme on June 1 to include people aged from 12 to 18.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong began distributing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to children aged 12 to 15 from June 11. Officials said the shot would initially be offered to about 240,000 children as part of a drive to bolster immunisation rates.

Japan

In June, Japan announced plans to vaccinate children aged 12 to 15 against Covid-19 during the summer break from school.

The Japanese Health Ministry lowered the minimum age for Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine to 12 the previous month.

The Philippines

The Philippines on May 26 decided to allow Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for emergency use in children aged 12 to 15.

India

People queue to receive a vaccine shot against Covid-19 in Bangalore, India.
A man receives a vaccine shot against Covid-19 in Bangalore, India.
A health worker administers a vaccine shot to a Naga woman in Imphal, India.
A man receives a Covid-19 vaccine shot in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir.
A health worker prepares to inoculate a resident during a vaccination drive for low-income citizens at a school in Hyderabad, India.
A woman gets inoculated with a dose of Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in Mumbai.

One of the country's hardest hit by the pandemic is likely to start vaccinating children this month, its Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

India has battled a surge in Covid-19 infections in recent months which has threatened to overwhelm its health services.

New Zealand

New Zealand's medicines regulator approved use of Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for 12 to 15 year olds, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on June 21.

United States

US regulators authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged between 12 and 15 in May, in a step regarded as crucial to allowing schools to reopen safely.

US President Joe Biden described the decision as a "promising development in our fight against the virus".

Canada

Canada authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech shot for children aged 12 to 15 on May 5.

Mexico

The Central American nation with a population of more than 127 million approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12 and older on June 24.

Brazil

Brazil – which has recorded one of the highest number of global cases of about 20 million to date – authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for those aged 12 and older on June 11.

Chile

Chile approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12 to 16-year-olds on May 31, after granting emergency approval for its use in those aged 17 in December, 2020.

Paraguay

Paraguay is administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to children aged 12 to 17 with underlying health conditions.

Israel

Israel began vaccinating 12 to 15 year olds with the Pfizer-BioNTech drug in June as part of one of the world's fastest immunisation programmes.

Initial data from 200,000 inoculated Israeli children published last month indicated that the vaccine had no major side effects and almost none in general.

However, the report said more data was needed with a larger sample to draw definitive conclusions.

European Union countries

Denmark began to administer Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for children aged 12-15 in July.

France started vaccinating those aged 12 and older in June, provided they had parental consent.

Germany announced on Monday it was to start offering coronavirus vaccinations for all children aged 12 and older.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said the country had enough vaccines to cover all age groups.

Austria aims to have more than 340,000 children aged 12-15 vaccinated by the end of the month, the news site Vindobona reported.

Estonia is vaccinating children aged between 12 and 17 with the Pfizer-BioNTech drug with the aim of immunising large numbers before schools resume in September.

Hungary started vaccinating children aged 12 and older in June, having administered the shot to the 16-18 age group from the end of May.

Italy agreed to immunise children aged 12 to 15 with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in June, while regulators endorsed the use of the Moderna vaccine for 12 to 17 year olds late last month.

Lithuania's Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said the country could start vaccinating children from age 12 in June, news site Delfi reported.

Spain's Health Minister Carolina Darias said in June that the country aimed to start vaccinating those aged 12 to 17 about two weeks before the start of the new school year in September.

Non EU countries:

United Kingdom

Arriving passengers queue at Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport, in London. Hannah McKay / Reuters
Tourists from Britain arrive at the airport in Mallorca, Spain, after England lifted quarantine requirements for travellers returning from the Balearic Islands.
A woman reads a book while sitting between social distancing markers in Liverpool.
Workers disinfect seats in the Centre Court at The All England Tennis Club, in Wimbledon.
Spectators, some wearing face masks, queue to enter the grounds at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships.
People gather near Parliament in central London during a '#FreedomToDance' march organised by Save Our Scene, calling for an easing of restrictions for music events.
People queue at a vaccination centre at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, in London.
People receive their vaccine doses at the Emirates Stadium.

The UK said children at higher risk of Covid-19 infection would be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine but the majority of children would not be immunised.

The decision was made after a review by the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

It recommended vaccinating children aged 12-15 if they are at higher risk of Covid due to factors such as profound learning difficulties, severe neurodisabilities and severely weakened immune systems.

Switzerland

Switzerland approved vaccinating 12 to 15 year olds with the Pfizer-BioNTech drug on June 4.

Norway

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health recommended that 16 and 17 year olds were offered a vaccine, as soon as all over-18s are fully vaccinated. A final decision is expected next month.

San Marino

San Marino is offering vaccination for children aged 12 to 15, reported San Marino RTV, citing its Institute for Social Security.

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10 tips for entry-level job seekers

Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
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Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

THE BIO

Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.

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