Cynon Valley

‘Vaccinate vulnerable children aged 12-15’

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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 on Monday.

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 newly-turned 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 selfisolat­e on their return from amberlist countries, with the exception of France, from where on arrival in Wales people will continue to be required to self-isolate for 10 days, even when fully vaccinated.

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