Why Covid jabs are not being rolled out to all children throughout Wales
Millions of children have been vaccinated in other countries worldwide but not in Wales. Education editor Abbie Wightwick looks at the powerful arguments for and against wider vaccination of the under-18s
VACCINATING children against Covid-19 is a heated topic with strong views on both sides.
While wealthy nations around the globe have begun giving the Covid jab to 12 year-olds, the UK is among the more cautious and has not approved it routinely for under18s.
Amid all the noise, claim and counterclaim, what are the ethics, politics and most importantly, the safety and usefulness, of inoculating children as we try to quell the pandemic?
Across the world, millions of under-18s have already had the Covid-19 vaccine, with a raft of countries, from the USA to France and New Zealand, approving it.
Some consider it a crucial move towards reaching “herd immunity” and getting life back to normal for all ages. Others see it as a sinister move by pharmaceutical firms to make money without fully knowing the side effects on children.
Critics question why children, the least likely to be seriously at risk, or die, from Covid, should be offered what they say is a potentially risky vaccine, that has caused some deaths in adults and is yet to be adequately trialled in children. Parents complain they are falsely accused of being anti-vaxxers if they are wary about their children getting what they see as an as-yet experimental jab. There is little middle ground.
There is also the matter of whether it is right that children in some wealthy nations are being inoculated while those more at risk from Covid-19, the older and vulnerable, in less well-off countries go without.
Here we take a look at some of the arguments and what’s happening around the world.
Pfizer and Moderna have started their clinical trials for the jab in children younger than 12 and as young as six months old. Pfizer has said that complete trial results will become available in September and the company hopes to start vaccinating young children in 2022.
Countries across the EU are among those worldwide now vaccinating 12-year-olds.
The UK has been more cautious, saying that as yet the potential risk, though small, outweighs the benefit to children of having the vaccine.
Why aren’t all under-18s being offered the vaccine in the UK?
The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has just updated its advice on vaccines for young people and concluded there was a small but important risk in giving children the Covid jab.
This risk, though small, was not worth taking when they are the group least likely to become seriously ill or hospitalised with Covid, the JCVI decided.
In a statement, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, whose members included experts advising government, said: “Most children are at minimal risk of being made seriously ill by Covid19.
“Having looked at the available international data, and considered the direct and indirect benefits (such as education), the JCVI has weighed in the balance the benefit to children over 12 of being vaccinated against the very small but important risk of potential side effects from the vaccine.
“It has decided that for children who are otherwise healthy, the risk is not outweighed by the benefit.” Why will some children get the Covid-19 vaccine in Wales then? Children aged 12 and over will be offered a Covid jab in Wales if they are in higher-risk groups.
The Welsh Government has responded to JCVI advice that these groups should be offered the jab saying it will “work quickly to identify these young people and to offer them the vaccine”.
Young people aged 16 to 17 years of age who are at higher risk of serious Covid-19 have already been offered the vaccination in Wales.
When will they get the jab?
No date has been announced for when vaccination of at-risk groups of under-18s will start.
The new advice from the JCVI is that children and young people aged 12-15 with specific underlying health conditions that put them at risk of serious Covid-19 should be offered vaccination and;
The JCVI has advised ministers that the following groups should be offered Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. This is the only vaccine authorised by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for 12 to 17 year-olds in the UK.
12-15-year-olds who are at increased risk of serious Covid-19 and hospitalisation in the following groups;
Those with severe neuro-disabilities;
Those with immunosuppression; Those with Down Syndrome; Those with profound and multiple learning disabilities, severe learning disabilities, or on GP the learning disability register;
12 to 17-year-olds who are household contacts of people who are immunosuppressed;
Those turning 18 in the next three months.
These groups are in addition to those aged 16 and over in an at-risk group Some arguments against giving all
children the Covid vaccine
The severity of Covid in children is normally very low;
Most children are at minimal risk of being made seriously ill by Covid;
Not enough is yet known about the side effects and risks of the Covid-19 vaccine on children;
Benefits don’t outweigh possible risks.
Some arguments for vaccinating children against Covid
Giving all children the Covid jab will help achieve herd immunity to suppress the pandemic and mean a faster return to normal life for all;
Education will not be disrupted again;
Although children are not as severely affected by Covid as adults, they can spread the virus to older people who may need to be hospitalised and may die, or get long Covid.
Who is calling for under-18s to be vaccinated against Covid?
Among those asking for under-18s to be inoculated are David Evans, Wales secretary of the NEU Cymru teachers’ union, and the lecturers’ union, the University College Union (UCU).
Universities Wales, which represents employers, has urged all students to get both jabs before returning to courses in September, or as soon as they can on arrival.
They say it will help protect staff and wider society and avoid further disruption to education.
Some doctors are also asking for it to be considered. But they are also cautious.
There has been anger at suggestions of a vaccine passport to get into events or even education.
Some say this amounts to coercion and young people are being made to get vaccines to protect others when their interests have not been protected. Do young people want the vaccine? 91% of vaccinations now involve second jabs, while total numbers of vaccinations are dropping.
More than a quarter of people aged 18 to 29 (26.6%) are yet to have the first dose.
More than 30% of the youngest age group have now had their second doses.
Health boards have been offering walk-in vaccinations to make it easier for younger people.
It has been estimated that at the current rate of people turning up for their jab it would take around eight months to reach all under-30s in Wales.