Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Saudi Ministry of Health on Sunday (June 27) lowered the age that people can receive Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to 12, a move that is expected to speed up the vaccination drive in the country.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use in people ages 18 and up in December 2020, Saudi Gazette reported.

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has now amended the authorization to include children ages 12 to 18.

Those who wish to receive the vaccine can book an appointment through Sehaty and Tawakkalna applications.

The ministry said it has so far administered more than 17.2 million vaccine doses through 587 vaccination centers across the Kingdom, covering 70 percent of the total adult population in Saudi Arabia.

Reporting by Indonesia Window