Rollout of Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine to Begin July 28

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine for children in The Bahamas is set to begin July 28, as 24,000 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for kids was received, Saturday.

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Michael Darville was at Lynden Pindling International Airport, along with Prime Minister Philip Davis and other health officials to receive the vaccines, a donation from France.

Dr. Darville says the vaccine will be available for those who are “eligible and willing.” The doses are made for children ages 5-11 and will be available at all of the country’s vaccination centers, beginning on New Providence on July 28.

One way the rollout is different from the introduction of adult vaccines in The Bahamas is that the vaccine for kids will also be administered in schools, however Dr. Darville says there are very robust protocols for how that will be done.

“We are not planning to go to schools for mass vaccination,” he says.

Health officials say parents must be involved and give consent before the vaccine can be administered.