In a statement, the DGS says that this recommendation follows the position of the Technical Commission on Vaccination against Covid-19 (CTVC), which considered, based on available data, that the benefit-risk assessment, from an individual and health perspective public, is in favour of vaccinating children in this age group.

According to the department led by Graça Freitas, children in this age group will receive the Comirnaty vaccine, from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which has a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to be administered in this age group.

“The number of new cases of Covid-19 in children has been increasing. The disease in these age groups is generally mild, but there are severe forms of Covid-19 in children”, adds the DGS.

According to the statement, the risk of hospitalisation is greater in children with at-risk illnesses, however, many of the admissions occur in children without at-risk illnesses.

“For this position, the contributions of a group of specialists in paediatrics and child health, as well as advisory members of the CTVC were considered”, says the DGS.

On Friday, the DGS and the Support Coordination Nucleus to the Ministry of Health will provide additional technical clarification and on the vaccination schedule and respective logistics at a press conference.

The incidence of coronavirus infections in children under 10 years of age has been increasing since the end of October, being the age group with the highest value in the last week.

Portugal should receive the first 300,000 vaccines with paediatric characteristics against Covid-19, from the BioNTech/Pfizer pharmaceutical consortium, on December 13, announced the Deputy Secretary of State and Health on Monday.

“About 300,000 vaccines will arrive on December 13th and then, during the month of January, another 400,000 vaccines will arrive, which, for this population, will be enough”, said António Lacerda Sales, noting that this is a "different vaccination in that it is a single dose of 10 micrograms, about a third of the adult dose".