Which countries vaccinate children against COVID?

As the UK appears to emerge from the devastating coronavirus pandemic, one major decision remains to be made: vaccinate healthy children.

A senior government adviser said there was no right or wrong answer to the “finely balanced” decision to immunize healthy 12 to 15 year olds. However, other experts argue that not giving children the vaccine exposes them to as yet unknown long-term effects of the virus.

Last week, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization said it does not advise giving the vaccine to healthy 12 to 15 year olds, saying the risk of serious illness is low and that, therefore, the potential benefit of COVID-19 vaccination was also small.

Despite this, politicians could still ignore this advice.

England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, is expected to approve a COVID-19 vaccination program for every 12 to 15 year olds, according to the Times.

The government has asked Professor Whitty to make the final decision to prick young people and expand the deployment to include all over 12s.

He could see high school kids getting their first doses in just over a week.

Counselors told Professor Whitty that vaccination could improve the mental health of young people and prevent them from missing school, The Times reported.

Since 23 August, teenagers aged 16 and 17 in England have been offered vaccines, but only extremely vulnerable 12-15 year olds have had the chance to receive a vaccine.

Last week, Boris Johnson said the UK needed to ‘move faster’ with immunizing 16 to 17 year olds in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus when schools reopen.

Proponents of a vaccination program for those over 12 say that while the risks for children and adolescents of catching COVID are very low, they are not entirely absent.

Countries like the United States, Israel, France and Germany have all recommended that those over 12 be universally vaccinated.

The story continues

However, supporters say vaccinating children can make them safer in school and could also be a strategy to protect vulnerable adults to whom they could pass the disease.

So which countries are already vaccinating over 12s?

Professor Christina Pagel, director of the Clinical Operations Research Unit at University College London, posted a Twitter thread on Thursday listing the countries that have vaccinated those over 12, in a bid to underscore the safety of the strategy.

She wrote: “The UK is one of the very few high income countries that is not [vaccinating over-12s]. “

Professor Pagel continued: “Almost the first to vaccinate 12-17 year olds were the United States and Canada in May.

Canada emphasizes the importance of vax to protect children from acute COVID, prevent long-term impacts of COVID, and reduce transmission to others. “

Professor Pagel wrote: “The United States has now given at least one dose to over half of 12-17 year olds and experts believe it has gone well.” She added that there was, however, “great variation by state”.

And elsewhere ?

Many countries around the world have approved the vaccine for healthy children.

The list includes the United States and Canada as well as Israel, Indonesia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Mexico, Chile and Dubai.

Many European countries have also approved the jab.

Spain

According to the latest health report from the Spanish Ministry of Health dated August 20, 55.4% of the 3.9 million young people aged 12 to 19 in Spain had already received their first dose of a COVID vaccine. -19. The decision to offer the vaccine to under 18s or not is up to regional authorities. As a result, different regions started offering vaccines at different times.

France

France started offering COVID vaccines to everyone over 12 years old on June 15. From the end of September, young teens will join those over 18 in needing a ‘health pass’ – showing proof of vaccination or a recent negative test – to visit cafes, places of entertainment and events. public, take a long-distance train or participate in organized sport.

Italy

The Pfizer vaccine was approved for 12 to 15 year olds at the end of May, with reservations in most areas starting in July, and in August, the Moderna vaccine was approved for 12 to 17 year olds.

Denmark

The Danish health authority approved vaccination for children aged 12 to 15 in June, with vaccinations starting in July.

Switzerland

Switzerland approved the Pfizer vaccine for children over 12 in early June.

Republic of Ireland

Ireland has experienced a high vaccination rate in the adult population, with more than 90% of adults over 18 having received a dose and 84% being fully vaccinated by the end of August.

The portal to register a 12 to 15-year-old child for COVID vaccination opened on August 11 and received 75,000 requests in just 48 hours.

Poland

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least half of the Polish population has been vaccinated.

Pfizer and Moderna have both been approved for over 12 years, with the first being approved in June. Among people aged 12 to 17, 685,277 people have been vaccinated with at least one dose as of August 16, according to the Polish Ministry of Health.

Germany

The vaccines were initially recommended only for children with underlying illnesses, but following the spread of the Delta variant, it was decided on August 16 to offer a vaccine to all children over 12 years old. years.

Watch: Do Coronavirus Vaccines Affect Fertility?