Long queues of children lined the halls of Mater Dei Hospital on Tuesday morning as the vaccination drive for minors aged between five and 11 picked up the pace. 

The health authorities only recently started giving out the jab to the cohort, after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the use of a smaller dose of the Pfizer vaccine for young children.

Those over 12 had been offered the vaccine in summer. 

Photos seen by Times of Malta showed long queues of children waiting to get their jab. Health sources told Times of Malta turnout has so far been good and seems to have picked up further after Christmas. 

Young people queuing at Mater Dei Hospital on Tuesday.

Children will return to school next week, with the health authorities insisting they do not plan on shutting down schools despite the rapid increase in new infections. 

Meanwhile, on Monday, the authorities continued with their booster drive, opening up vaccination to anyone aged 18 and over. 

Health Minister Chris Fearne said earlier on Tuesday that healthcare workers had administered more than 9,500 vaccine doses on Monday - a one-day record for Malta. 

The drive had to be stepped up in recent weeks as the number of infections spiked, with daily records of new cases smashed repeatedly. 

Despite the increase, the number of people in hospital remained relatively low, with around 80 patients currently receiving treatment at Mater Dei. Only a handful are in the ITU.