COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children aged between 12 and 15 are not being recommended by the UK's vaccine advisers.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced that it is widening the so-far limited rollout to more children in this age bracket who have underlying health conditions.
But it is not recommending mass vaccination of children aged between 12 and 15.
The programme is being extended from what had been considered the most at-risk children, to include children with chronic major heart, lung, kidney, liver and neurological conditions.
It means about 200,000 more children will be invited for vaccines.
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The decision comes exactly a week after the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed preparations were under way to ensure the NHS was ready to offer coronavirus jabs to all 12 to 15-year-olds in England from early September.
The department said they wanted to be “ready to hit the ground running”.
Commentin on the news on Twitter, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: "I thank JCVI for advice in relation to vaccinating 12-15yr olds.
"I have spoken to other Health Ministers across UK & we have asked our respective [chief medical officers] CMOs to rapidly explore wider educational & societal impacts in relation to vaccinating 12-15yr olds - as per JCVI's suggestion.
"JCVI recognise marginal net benefit of vaccinating 12-15yr olds but do not recommend universal vaccination based on precautionary approach when it comes to children."
In light of today’s JCVI advice, @scotgov and the other UK nations have asked our CM0s to consider wider issues, such as educational impact, in relation to vaccination of all 12-15 year olds and offer further advice as quickly as possible. https://t.co/A7vPHs65oj
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) September 3, 2021
Sharing Yousaf's comments, Nicola Sturgeon said that the UK's CMOs would be asked to deliver "further advice as quickly as possible"
Sturgeon wrote: "In light of today’s JCVI advice, @scotgov and the other UK nations have asked our CMOs to consider wider issues, such as educational impact, in relation to vaccination of all 12-15 year olds and offer further advice as quickly as possible."
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