Last month the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra), approved emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine in children aged 12 to 17 years.
Sahpra told TimesLIVE children will experience the same side-effects as adults, adding studies had shown rare cases of heart inflammation in young boys after receiving the second dose.
Phaahla said the VMAC advised children to receive only a single dose of the vaccine to allow for close monitoring of side-effects.
“The VMAC advised that for now, we only give one dose while assessing information which suggests that in a few cases there have been short-lived cases of transient myocarditis after two doses. The timing of the second dose will be informed by further information on this rarely observed side-effect which has no permanent risk,” said the minister.