The Health Ministry authorized Tuesday the Covid-19 vaccines for children in ages 5 to 11 in rare cases in which a high probability of serious illness exists.

The ministry updates the HMOs and hospitals of the instruction, which will take effect on August 21.

Under the new guideline, the vaccine will be applicable for children suffering from immunity suppression, obesity, severe chronic lung disease, active malignant conditions, heart failure and sickle-cell disease.

The ministry further instructed the HMOs to monitor possible vaccine adverse events in close proximity to the inoculation.