Germany vaccine panel OKs shots for children aged 5-11

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s independent vaccination advisory panel says it is recommending COVID-19 shots for children aged 5 to 11 with pre-existing conditions or who are in close contact to vulnerable people. The expert panel also said Thursday that young kids without pre-existing conditions can be vaccinated if there is an “individual desire” to do so — a step short of advising that all children in that age group get the shots. The panel said in a statement that children aged 5-11 should receive two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, three to six weeks apart. The recommendation means doctors in Germany will likely begin offering vaccinations to younger children next week, when the appropriate shots become available.