UK experts advise against vaccinating children with Pfizer

As children and youth without co-morbidities usually have mild cases when they contract the virus, it was decided that vaccination would offer a ‘marginal benefit’ and therefore there was not ‘enough’ evidence. to come up with a massive campaign.

“For the vast majority of children, infection with SARS-CoV-2 is asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic and resolves without treatment. Of the few children between the ages of 12 and 15 who require hospitalization, the majority have pre-existing health problems, ”the committee said in a statement.

Instead, the agency took a more preventative approach to assess the long-term impacts of this side effect.

On the contrary, Wei Shen Lim, president of Covid-19 Immunization at JCVI, reiterated that “children aged 12 to 15 with pre-existing health conditions that put them at increased risk of contracting severe coronavirus should be offered the vaccine “. .

“For healthy people, their risk of serious disease is low and, therefore, the potential benefit of vaccination is also low,” he explained.

Following the publication of the recommendation, Health Minister Sajid Javid said he will seek advice from medical authorities in the four nations that make up the UK “before taking a swift decision”.

Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for ages 12 and up have been approved by the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), having met strict standards for safety and efficacy.

Last week, the Department of Health and Social Affairs (DHSC) confirmed preparations were underway to ensure the NHS, as the English public health system is called, was ready to offer inoculants to everyone children aged 12 to 15 since early September. .

According to research by University College London and the UK health department known as Public Health England, up to one in seven children who contract coronavirus could show symptoms almost four months later.

People who tested positive were twice as likely to report three or more symptoms 15 weeks later than those who tested negative, the study suggested.