‘Vaccinate vulnerable children aged 12-15’
TWELVE to 15-year-olds with specific underlying health conditions which put them at risk of Covid-19 should be offered a vaccination against the virus, the Joint Committee for Vaccination (JCVI) advised yesterday.
In a recommendation welcomed by Wales’ Health Minister Eluned Morgan, the JCVI said the NHS will work quickly to identify these young vulnerable people and to offer them the vaccine.
Those aged 12 and over who are household contacts of persons who are immunosuppressed should also be offered a vaccination on the understanding that its main benefits are related to the potential for indirect protection of their household contact who is immunosuppressed, said the JCVI.
It added that it will move quickly to ensure the offer of vaccination to those who are within three months of their 18th birthday to ensure good uptake of vaccine in newlyturned 18-year-olds, including those intending to go to university.
However, the JCVI said routine vaccination of all others under 18 was not advised given the “low incidence and severity of Covid-19 in children”.
Baroness Morgan said: “I am aware there have been calls for children to be vaccinated to prevent them getting post-acute Covid-19 syndrome (long Covid). Covid rates in children are relatively low and there is still limited information about the overall direct effects of the virus on them. However, studies are emerging which show that this risk is very low in children, especially in comparison with adults, and similar to the secondary health complications of other respiratory viral infections in children.
“My officials remain in close contact with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health on this matter and have established a group to consider the impacts of long Covid on both adults and children and co-ordinate the wide ranging response needed”
She also confirmed that all adults who are fully vaccinated with NHS Covid-19 vaccines and under-18s, do not have to self-isolate on their return from amber-list countries, with the exception of France, from where on arrival in Wales people will continue to be required to selfisolate for 10 days, even when fully vaccinated.
She added: “In addition, during August we will remove the requirement for people who have been fully vaccinated to self-isolate if they are a close contact of someone who has tested positive. Self-isolation will continue to play a very important role to help minimise the spread of the virus. There will be additional safeguards in place for people who work in health and social care settings. We will consider as part of the next three-week review of the regulations other potential exemptions, such as for those under the age of 18.”