Now is not the right time for children aged 11 and under to have the Covid-19 vaccine, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has said.
The comments by Jeremy Brown, professor of respiratory medicine at University College London Hospitals, come as headteachers are warning that teaching and pupil absence due to Covid is ”wreaking havoc” in schools.
Professor Brown said today that British regulatory bodies have not yet looked at the relevant data from the US.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently said children aged between five and 11 can receive an “age-appropriate dose” of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.
Professor Brown told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think it’s far too early to say that [we should follow the US’ lead].
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He said: “At present, the vaccine is not allowed to be given to children 11 years and younger in this country and the [Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency] have not looked at the data from the States to see whether it can be approved for that age group yet.”
He added that there was a case for using the vaccine on those children that are more vulnerable to Covid due to underlying health conditions.
In September, the JCVI said children aged 12 to 15 with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe Covid should be offered a vaccine, but did not recommend it for healthy children in that age bracket.
Professor Brown pointed out that this is due to the consequences of coronavirus infection for healthy children in that age group being “pretty mild”.
The UK’s four chief medical officers (CMOs) later decided that this age group should be given a first dose of the vaccine, taking into account the impact of the pandemic on children’s education as well as the risks to their mental health from missing school.
Professor Brown said: “The vaccine is being used mainly to protect people in education, to prevent them having to take time off school and all that disruption that has occurred as a consequence of a Covid infection.”
He added: “If we’re thinking about the future and whether we need to vaccinate 11s and under for their educational benefit, it really depends on how prevalent the infection (rate) is at that time.”
Meanwhile, England’s deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, told BBC Breakfast and BBC Radio 5 Live that Pfizer may file for approval of the use of its vaccine in 5- to 11-year-olds in the UK and Europe in the next few months following the US announcement.
