Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, is expected to approve mass vaccinations of Covid-19 for 12- to 15-year-olds this month. This comes as children return to school across the country.
Sajid Javid, Health Secretary, wants to ensure the NHS is maintained. “is ready to go” and begin vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds, with their parents’ consent
Plans to vaccinate schoolchildren across the country against Covid-19 are expected to get the go-ahead this month even though the Government’s scientific advisers have not recommended a mass rollout.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, (JCVI), stated the following: “margin of benefit is considered too small” It is important to encourage widespread vaccination for healthy 12-15 year-olds. The vast majority of infected children are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms that resolve quickly and do not require treatment.
But health secretary Sajid Javid has asked England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty to review the evidence and determine whether there is a case for vaccinating this age group.
The advice of chief medical officials from the UK and JCVI will be considered before he makes a final decision. But, according to The Telegraph ministers are confident he’ll sign off on the plans next Monday.
A source at the Department for Health said that Mr Javid wanted to ensure the NHS was maintained. “is ready to go” and begin vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds, with their parent’s consent.
As children in the country return to school this month, the health service is recruiting thousands of vaccinators to schools. The health secretary however has stated that the government needs to “move quickly” You can also use the jabs.
Gavin Williamson, education secretary, said that he “very much hopes”The under-16s can receive vaccines.
However, Friday’s JVCI statement stated that healthy teenagers aged 12-15 years are in good health. “very low risk” They are at risk of falling seriously ill if they get infected by Covid-19. The health benefits of vaccination are also available “marginally greater than the potential known harms”.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of Covid-19 Immunisation for the JCVI, said: “Children aged 12 to 15 years old with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe Covid-19 should be offered Covid-19 vaccination.
“The range of underlying health conditions that apply has recently been expanded. For otherwise healthy 12 to 15-year-old children, their risk of severe Covid-19 disease is small and therefore the potential for benefit from Covid-19 vaccination is also small.
“The JCVI’s view is that overall, the health benefits from Covid-19 vaccination to healthy children aged 12 to 15 years are marginally greater than the potential harms.
“Taking a precautionary approach, this margin of benefit is considered too small to support universal Covid-19 vaccination for this age group at this time. The committee will continue to review safety data as they emerge.”