５～１１歳のワクチン接種承認へ　３月開始、オミクロンにも効果―厚労省

　厚生労働省の専門部会は２０日、米製薬大手ファイザーが申請する５～１１歳向けの新型コロナウイルスワクチンについて、薬事承認することを了承した。厚労省は２１日に特例承認する見通しで、３月にも小児への接種を始める。接種に努力義務を課すかどうかは、２６日に開かれる厚労省の分科会で議論される予定。
　オミクロン株への置き換わりが進む中、国内の新規感染者数は連日、最多を更新。ワクチン未接種の小児にも拡大しており、今月１２～１８日に感染が判明した約１６万人のうち、８％に当たる１万２９４７人は１０歳未満だった。小児用ワクチンはオミクロン株にも一定程度効果があるという。（2022/01/20-21:09）

The Japanese government is set to approve U.S. drug giant Pfizer Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11, after a health ministry panel endorsed the vaccine on Thursday.
   Whether to make it obligatory to make efforts to vaccinate children aged 5-11 against COVID-19 is expected to be discussed later.
   The government aims to start inoculating such children as early as March.
   In Japan, the daily number of new coronavirus cases has continued to renew its record high in recent days, as the omicron variant of the virus is raging.
   Infections are spreading also among unvaccinated young children. Of some 160,000 people confirmed as positive for the virus between Jan. 12 and Tuesday, children below 10 years old accounted for 12,947, or 8 pct.