Children over 12 may be in line for jabs

CHILDREN aged 12 and over in Wales could be vaccinated against coronavirus later this year, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.

Pfizer has had its vaccination authorised for 12 to 15 year olds in America, and it is applying to do the same in the UK. Clinical studies have shown the vaccine was safe and effective among 12-18 year olds.

Mr Drakeford has confirmed it is likely the Welsh Government would want to roll out jabs for children if licences were granted.

Speaking to ITV Wales’ Sharp End programme, he said: “Some of the forms of vaccination are now beginning to get a licence for children as early as the age of 12. So we’re watching that very carefully. If there is a vaccine that gets that licence for use here in Wales, we are very likely to want to take advantage.

“It may be later this year, even, we will be able to have a programme in our secondary schools offering those young people a vaccination which would make schools even safer than they are now.”

He said it might enable them to lift some of the restrictions like having to wear masks in classrooms all the time.

The Welsh Government said it is awaiting advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on immunising children aged between 12 and 15.

On Sunday, Wales reached the milestone of vaccinating two million adults against coronavirus: 2,035,905 over 18s have now received their first dose and 927,215 the full course.

The World Health Organisation, however, is asking countries to postpone vaccinating young people and donate some of the vaccine to countries where there is a shortfall.

Spokeswoman Dr Margaret Harris told BBC Radio Wales: “Ultimately, everybody will want to be vaccinated and it is good news we now know there are vaccines safe to use in children. But at the moment they are in a very low risk group, unless they have an underlying health condition.

“There is such a shortage of supply in the world so we are saying, if you have got such surplus look to donating doses so you can stop the pandemic raging in so many countries.”