France widens COVID vaccine rollout to 16-17 year olds at high risk of major illness

FILE PHOTO: People wait to be given a COVID-19 vaccine in Nice, France, April 29, 2021. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

PARIS (Reuters) - France has decided to widen its COVID-19 vaccine rollout to people aged 16-17 who could face a high risk of a major illness from the virus, said the country's health ministry on Thursday, as the country gradually accelerates its vaccine programme.

The health ministry said this category of 16-17 year olds would be allowed to get the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine from Thursday onwards.