Sturgeon: Children should be given jab
CHILDREN in Scotland could be set to be vaccinated against Covid after Nicola Sturgeon revealed she is in favour and awaiting clinical guidance.
Yesterday was the first time the First Minister has signalled that she would like to see youngsters given the opportunity to receive a jab.
The issue of whether under-18s should be immunised against coronavirus has become increasingly controversial as young people are less likely to suffer severe illness from being infected.
However, in recent weeks soaring numbers of children have tested positive for the virus, with a surge in those forced to self-isolate in the final weeks of the school term.
Despite youngsters generally showing fewer symptoms when infected, experts have warned of long-term effects on health as well as socially.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is working on guidance and will announce whether the vaccine rollout across the UK will be expanded to those aged 12 to 17.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for use in children aged over 12.
While governments are awaiting the decision before action on the issue, Miss Sturgeon said yesterday she was in favour of giving jabs to younger people as long as this is backed by the ‘risk-benefit’ balance.
Regarding the JCVI guidance, she said: ‘I am anxiously awaiting that advice. I am not a clinician and I put great store on issues like vaccination on following the clinical advice because I don’t think it is right for someone like me with no clinical qualifications to second guess that.’
However, Miss Sturgeon said that from her ‘non-clinical perspective’ she does not believe ‘we should just blithely let kids or young people more generally get infected and not care about the consequences’.
Although noting that the risk to children from Covid is ‘much, much, much, much lower’ than in older people, Miss Sturgeon said the risk of harm was still too great. At a coronavirus briefing, she said: ‘We shouldn’t be complacent about any human individual’s health.
‘I suppose, from a non-clinical perspective, I want to see this vaccine – the extent of vaccination – reach as far as possible and, as long as the risk-benefit ratio is right, then if it’s possible I want to see young people get the opportunity for vaccination as well.
‘This is because I want to see young people as protected as possible, but I need to see the clinical advice whether that is a clinically appropriate thing to do. And I hope we have that advice sooner rather than later.’
The UK is among a number of countries considering whether the vaccine rollout should include children aged over 12.
Meanwhile some countries, including the United States and Israel, have started allowing those in that age group to receive a jab as they desperately look to build immunity within populations.
Experts have said that without giving vaccines to children, the UK will not reach ‘herd immunity’.
Professor Devi Sridhar of Edinburgh University said the decision to vaccinate children is one for families – but that there should be coverage in younger age groups.
Speaking earlier this week, she said: ‘My view is other countries who have started vaccination for the over-12s show that this is the group we need to cover.’
Professor Sridhar, who has advised Miss Sturgeon during the pandemic, added: ‘It’s a choice for parents or families who feel they want to take this up.
‘However, zero children have died because of the vaccine and its sideeffects. There have been some very rare cases of children suffering from side-effects, however no child has died from taking the vaccine.’