SECONDARY school pupils in Wales could be offered a coronavirus vaccine "later this year", first minister Mark Drakeford has said.
Mr Drakeford said if a vaccine receives a license for use on children in Wales, it would "very likely" that the Welsh Government would look to "take advantage of that".
The first minister also said it could be possible that a vaccination program would be set up in secondary schools at some point this year.
Speaking to ITV Wales, Mr Drakeford said: "Some of the forms of vaccination are now beginning to get a license for children as early as the age of 12.
"We are watching that very carefully.
"If there is a vaccine that gets that license here in Wales then I think we are very likely to want to take advantage of that."
The first minister also said it could be possible that a vaccination program would be set up in secondary schools at some point this year.
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That program could lead to a easing of restrictions in schools, he said.
Mr Drakeford added: "It may be that later this year even, we will be able to have a program in our secondary schools to offer those young people a vaccination which would make these schools even safer than they are.
And that might allow us to lift some of the other restrictions that we have.
"Wearing of masks in classrooms all the time for example, that makes the learning experience less comfortable than it would otherwise be."
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