Should the UK vaccinate all teenagers?

The UK government has announced it will offer the first dose of coronavirus vaccine to more than a million 16 and 17 year olds.

This the decision brings the United Kingdom this falls more closely in line with the United States, Israel and France, all of which have begun vaccinating significant numbers of older adolescents.

In Europe, however, 29 countries have started vaccinating children aged 12 and over or plan to do so in the near future, according to data collected by Sky News.

Seven other European countries have decided to only offer vaccines to children with underlying health conditions.

The UK remains one of the few countries in Europe not to offer the vaccine to children aged 12 to 15. Children in this age group are only offered the vaccine if they have an underlying health condition.

Outside Europe, Singapore, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, the United States, China, Canada and the Philippines have also decided to administer the vaccine to everyone aged 12 and above.

The United States is one of the countries that has made the most progress so far, with more than 39.5% of 12- to 15-year-olds having received their first dose as of Aug. 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But childhood vaccination is a controversial issue.

The arguments in favor of childhood vaccination

In recent weeks, younger age groups have seen COVID cases skyrocket compared to the older population, who are more likely to be protected by vaccines. Infection rates among 10 to 19-year-olds were the second highest in England for the week ending July 30, more than 24 times higher than those over 70.

Given the rise of the more transmissible Delta variant, which was first discovered in India, vaccinations are increasingly essential to achieving herd immunity within the UK population.

Data from Public Health England (PHE) suggests that transmission of the virus was widespread in schools and universities until the end of the summer term. Outbreaks can reflect transmission, but they also reflect already infected people being in common public spaces.

Outbreaks in schools have implications for the wider spread of the virus. Dr Julian Tang, professor of respiratory sciences at the University of Leicester, said the main motivation for vaccinating children is to suppress infections in the wider community.

He said: “For the younger population…spreading the virus to those who are not yet vaccinated, as well as long-term COVID risks in those who are infected and then in the community in the long term. [and] the social burden of health care that comes with it becomes the main problem. »

Although children are less likely to suffer serious illness and die from the virus, scientists have warned of the threat of Long COVID among young people.

Children also stand to lose out in other ways. The rapid spread of the virus in schools has led to an increase in the number of students deprived of in-person education. The rate of COVID-19-related absences in public schools increased to more than 10% at the end of the summer term.

This is of particular concern as vulnerable groups are disproportionately affected by this learning loss. The rate of absenteeism among students eligible for free school meals is consistently higher than in state schools overall, with a gap of up to 6.6 percentage points as of mid-May.

As well as the educational and health benefits of childhood vaccination, Dr Stephen Griffin, a virologist at the University of Leeds, highlights the vital role it plays in achieving herd immunity.

“A much higher proportion of the population doubly vaccinated is not only needed to defeat Delta, but would also provide excellent protection to clinically vulnerable groups,” he said.

The rapid spread of the Delta variant has pushed the herd immunity threshold higher. Griffin estimates this figure between “85 and 90%”. Even if everyone over the age of 16 is vaccinated in the UK, only 81% of the UK population will have the necessary protection against the virus.

Arguments against childhood vaccination

One argument against vaccinating children is that the risks are unknown, while the benefits are relatively small. Younger age groups are much less likely to suffer serious illness and death from the virus.

Most experts believe vaccines are safe for children. The World Health Organization (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts has concluded that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can be used by people aged 12 and older.

But currently, the WHO considers it “less urgent” to vaccinate children aged 12 to 15, unless they are in a high-risk group. In May, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the prioritization of low-risk groups, such as children, in rich countries a “moral catastrophe.”

He said: “I understand why some countries want to vaccinate their children and adolescents, but for now I urge them to reconsider and instead donate vaccines to COVAX. »

Many countries are struggling to control the spread of the virus with limited vaccine supplies. Less than 30% of the population of Paraguay, Colombia and Peru have received even a single dose and are experiencing some of the highest rates of COVID deaths.

However, Dr Stephen Griffin said: “While I fully support the drive to tackle global vaccine inequalities, the doses required to deliver an effective population vaccination program here in the UK do not represent just a drop of water in the ocean. »

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