Tokyo, Jan 21 (TIWN) Japan's Health Ministry on Friday approved the use of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines to inoculate children aged between 5 and 11 as the nation continues to grapple with surging numbers of new cases.

The vaccine rollout for 8 million eligible children in this age group will start in March, informed sources said after its approval was fast-tracked by the Ministry, making it the first jab to become available to this age group in the country, reports Xinhua news agency.  The vaccine, developed by the US pharmaceutical giant and its German partner BioNTech SE, at the moment is available to those in Japan aged 12 and over.