BERLIN, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- As of Friday, 38.2 percent of children and adolescents in Germany aged between 12 and 17 have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said.
Meanwhile, the seven-day incidence rate among young Germans has increased notably, the RKI said.
In some regions of the country, the rate approached 1,000 per 100,000 people in the ten to 19 age group.
German pediatricians expect COVID-19 vaccines for younger children to become available in the near future. "We expect the vaccine for under-12s to be licensed still this year," Joerg Doetsch, president of the German Society of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (DGKJ), told the newspaper Rheinische Post on Friday.
Once the license is approved, the country's Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) will consider whether to issue its own recommendation. "It is likely that after approval, the STIKO will make a limited recommendation for risk groups, for example children with severe chronic diseases," Doetsch said.
The country's overall seven-day COVID-19 incidence rate went up slightly on Friday to 68.7 cases per 100,000 people from 67 on the previous day, according to the RKI.
To date, more than 54.58 million people in Germany have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, bringing the country's vaccination rate to 65.6 percent. Enditem