First minister Nicola Sturgeon has responded to the news this afternoon that Covid vaccines are not being recommended for all 12- to 15-year-olds.
Ms Sturgeon had last week expressed her hope that all those aged 12 to 17 would soon be offered Covid vaccinations.
Now the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced that it is widening the so-far limited rollout to more children in the 12 to 15 age bracket who have underlying health conditions.
However, the JCVI is not recommending mass vaccination of children aged between 12 and 15.
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Ministers are expected to now seek extra advice on the wider benefits of vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds, with the UK’s four chief medical officers being asked to lead this process.
Review into decision on child Covid vaccines
The review, which is expected to take several days, will consider lost education time as a result of Covid-related absences, either through sickness or being sent home from school.
In response, Ms Sturgeon tweeted: “In light of today’s JCVI advice, @scotgov and the other UK nations have asked our CMOs [chief medical officers] to consider wider issues, such as educational impact, in relation to vaccination of all 12- to 15-year-olds, and offer further advice as quickly as possible.”
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
Health secretary Humza Yousaf tweeted: “I have spoken to other health ministers across UK & we have asked our respective CMOs to rapidly explore wider educational and societal impacts in relation to vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds - as per JCVI’s suggestion.
“JCVI recognise marginal net benefit of vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds but do not recommend universal vaccination based on precautionary approach when it comes to children”.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Parliament is expected to vote next Thursday, 9 September, on proposals for vaccine passports at nightclubs and large events.
Earlier this week, Ms Sturgeon said the government wanted to bring the scheme in “quickly” in response to rising coronavirus cases in Scotland.
It comes as statistics confirmed the level of infection in Scotland is at its highest since estimates began last autumn.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed around one in 75 people were thought to have Covid-19 last week, a sharp rise from one in 140 the previous week.
In Friday’s daily figures, Scotland recorded 10 deaths of coronavirus patients and 6,711 cases in the past 24 hours.
The Scottish government figures indicate the death toll under the daily measure - of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days - is 8,154.
The daily test positivity rate is 12.1 per cent, up from 11.1 per cent the previous day.
A total of 653 people were in hospital on Friday with recently confirmed Covid-19, up by 29 on the previous day, with 60 patients in intensive care, up five.
So far, 4,114,552 people have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and 3,709,328 have had their second.
