Key meeting of panel deciding on vaccines for kids 5-11 will be closed to public

8 November 2021, 6:10 pm

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This October 2021 photo provided by Pfizer shows kid-size doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Puurs, Belgium. (Pfizer via AP)

The Health Ministry announces that a meeting Wednesday of an advisory panel that will decide on approving coronavirus vaccines for children aged 5-11 will be held behind closed doors.

According to the Kan public broadcaster, most health experts on the panel decided against letting the public view the proceedings.

“All the considerations for and against the decision were deliberated, including the ability to have a free and open dialogue on such a sensitive and crucial matter amid the backdrop of widespread violent discourse, which could impact the course of the meeting,” the ministry says.

The ministry broadcast deliberations about okaying the vaccine for kids last week, aiming to push back at accusations of opaque decision-making.