Morocco will launch on Tuesday a coronavirus vaccination campaign targeting school students between the ages of 12 and 17.
A source from the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training stated that around 44 million students will be included in the campaign in preparation for the new academic year that started on Sept. 10.
Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani urged parents to encourage their children to get the vaccine that will guarantee a safe return to schools.
In a video posted on social media, Othmani noted that delta variant is widely spreading among children.
He further added that the number of children who have been admitted to hospital has increased. In August only, 117 children were receiving treatment after contracting the delta variant.
The death rate among children has also increased, with 19 virus-related fatalities recorded, including eight in August alone.
Addressing concerns over the safety of the vaccines, Othmani said countries around the world were giving the shots to children.
However, the vaccine can only be administered to children only with their parents’ approval. Shots will not be mandatory, he stressed.
The Department of National Education said the Sinopharm and Pfizer vaccines will be used given their effectiveness in this age category.
A total of 18.266 million people have so far received their first dose of the vaccine, while 14.364 million have been fully vaccinated.
