PLANS to vaccinate millions of schoolchildren against Covid are expected to be given the green light, despite the UK Government’s own scientific advisers failing to recommend a mass rollout, it is being reported.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on Friday said the “margin of benefit” of jagging 12 to 15-year-olds was “considered too small”, citing the low risk to healthy children from Covid-19.
Yesterday, the Daily Telegraph reported that it understood ministers are confident the chief medical officers in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland will approve the plan in the middle of this week.
READ MORE: Expert backs teens getting Covid vaccine amid 'frustrating' JCVI decision delay
Whitehall sources told the paper – while stressing they cannot pre-empt the chief medical officers’ joint decision – they expect ministers to be able to start the rollout shortly.
One insider said the vaccination of 12-year-olds will get the “go-ahead”.
Jillian Evans, head of health intelligence at NHS Grampian, said vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds would help prevent transmission of the virus, as well as protect children.
She told the BBC yesterday: “We know that the JCVI’s decision is predominantly based on the individual benefits and risks to a child, and not considering some of the wider impacts, and that’s what the chief medical officers will do.
“The thing about this is, it’s frustrating because it just builds in further delay in a decision that we’ve already been pushing for. Although I’m absolutely certain that there’ll be a lot of activity going on right now and in the days ahead so we can get to a decision as quickly as possible.”
She said that although the risk of long Covid in children was deemed to be small, much was still unknown.
Evans continued: “You might pick up this news and think the JCVI has said no. They haven’t said no – what they’ve said is on the balance of marginal benefits of vaccination against the risk of severe disease we’re saying no, but we’re leaving it open for you to consider other wider considerations. So people might get confused by that.”
The Scottish Government was approached for comment.
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