Anger at plans to roll back Covid vaccines to under-11s in England
Children aged 5-11 will no longer be offered Covid jabs, except those in clinical risk groups, UKHSA confirms
The decision to reduce the number of children who are offered Covid jabs has prompted outcry from parent groups and academics.
The
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said children who had not turned five
by the end of last month would not be offered a vaccination, in line
with advice published by the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and
Immunisation (JCVI) in February 2022. UKHSA said the offer of Covid jabs to healthy five to 11-year-olds was always meant to be temporary.
UKHSA’s Green Book,
which provides information on the vaccine rollout for public health
professionals, states: “This one-off programme applies to those aged 5
to 11 years, including those who turn five years of age before the end
of August 2022.
“Subject to further
clarification, on-going eligibility in 2022/23, after the one
off-programme, is expected to be for children in the academic years
where children are aged 11 or 12 years.”
However, Prof Christina Pagel, of University College London, criticised the move.
“JCVI
itself considered there to be a benefit to young children to be
vaccinated – even if most of them had already been infected,” she said.
“There is also the additional benefit to children of providing additional protection from developing long Covid, missing school during the acute illness and reducing transmission to household members, other children and teachers.”
Pagel
said that at least one serious Covid wave was expected later this year,
but that many children about to start school would now have to wait six
years for vaccination, with likely relatively frequent infections in
that time.
“When we know there is a safe and
effective vaccine available this seems unjustifiable to me,” said Pagel,
adding that – while rare – children had died from Covid.
Adam
Finn, professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol, and a
member of the JCVI, said that while the Covid vaccine programme for
priming jabs would probably be wound down at some point, including for
children, it had not been finalised when this would happen.
He
pointed out that in the UK, the proportion of parents who had chosen to
have their young children immunised had been small, despite the offer
being open.
The JCVI says young children are at very low risk
of developing severe disease from Covid, while most will have gained
natural immunity from infections.
“The main
policy focus right now though … is to try to immunise those who are at
highest risk of severe acute Covid as per the recent announcement on the autumn booster programme,” said Finn.
UKHSA
confirmed all children aged five and over in clinical risk groups would
continue to be offered Covid jabs, including through the booster
programme.
Gavin Dabrera, deputy director of
Covid-19 vaccines and epidemiology at UKHSA said: “From the outset, this
offer was only applicable to children who turned five years old by 31
August 2022. The NHS in England vaccinates in line with this guidance
and eligible children who turned five by 31 August can still come
forward for the jab,” he said.
“The JCVI
continually reviews the UK’s Covid-19 vaccination programme, including
the offer to 5-11s, and any updates to its advice will be announced in
due course.”
3 件のコメント:
あれーおちゅうしゃ止めたのですか じゃどこの国が全員おちゅうしゃにチャレンジするのでしょうか
首相、新型ワクチン「接種1日100万回超」「年末年始に備え加速」
2022/9/6 17:17
>リスクグループ除く
初めからどこの国もこうしてたらねー
のタラ＆レバ
チッピーの値上りに泣く子も少なかったろうに
9/30カウントダウンが楽しみ つーか
早く来ての思いw
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