French Ethical Committee Backs Vaccination for Children Aged 5-11 for 'Benefit of Child'

PARIS (Sputnik) - The French National Consultation Ethical Committee (CCNE) approved Friday COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5-11 for the sake of individual and collective benefits for the child, the agency said.

"The guiding principles of this ethical consideration of the CCNE were dictated by the individual benefit for the child and, secondly, by the collective benefit given that it also leads to the benefit of the child. They are primarily based on facts available and reflections connected to uncertainties of the current situation," the CCNE press statement said.

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that vaccination for children between 5 and 11 years old is desirable, but the decision is up to parents.

This month, a range of countries including the Netherlands, New Zealand, Latvia authorized the use of COVID-19 vaccines for children under 11 years.

The regional director for Europe at the World Health Organization, Hans Kluge, said on December 7 that vaccination of children will decrease their role in COVID-19 spreading and protect from complications.

France is one of the first countries to start a vaccination drive for teenagers aged 12-17, and three-quarters of the French adolescents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as of late November, according to the French Public Health Agency.