Pfizer/BioNTech Covid jab may be offered to 12-year-olds in Europe from June

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Robin said:
I think as a species we have become very risk averse. Nobody these days would sail off to look for an uknown new land armed just with a compass and sextant.
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And even more so when there is little to no benefit from taking that risk.
 
Amity Island said:
And even more so when there is little to no benefit from taking that risk.
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Again, as far as I can tell the idea's just to permit use in children, not to try and give the vaccination to all children over 12. I remember hearing a few interviews of teenagers distressed that they weren't allowed to have a vaccination; these were children who were vulnerable in various ways who very much wanted to be vaccinated so that they could return to school and start seeing their friends.

I presume in the fullness of time the government will make it easier to choose which vaccine is given. I could imagine some people nervous about the mRNA vaccines being OK with one or other of the vaccines producing using other technologies. (There's at least one French one using inactivated virus, so a very traditional model.)

(Though it looks like the EU is giving up on the Oxford/AstraZeneca one, preferring the Pfizer one.)
 
Bruce Stephens said:
Again, as far as I can tell the idea's just to permit use in children, not to try and give the vaccination to all children over 12.
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I hope that is the case, however, if the american strategy to vaccinate all those from 2+ from september as the previous link I posted is followed here, that won't be the case.
 
Amity Island said:
I hope that is the case, however, if the american strategy to vaccinate all those from 2+ from september as the previous link I posted is followed here, that won't be the case.
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That story says they want it authorised for use in children over 2, not that they're intending to use it on everyone over 2.

As I understand it there's a significant proportion of US adults who're unlikely to accept vaccination (20% or so) so attempting to make it part of the normal childhood vaccinations seems unlikely to be successful even if anyone wanted to try.

Presuming the virus lingers for years, if it turns out there are some long term effects on children from infection (which seems to me unlikely but not impossible) I could imagine there being calls for vaccination of younger children. (Even if the effects were relatively rare.)

I could also imagine some calls for vaccination for international travel: I'd bet if you were 12 and wanted to travel to Australia they'd be much happier if you were vaccinated. (Presuming the vaccines gain approval for those ages.)
 
Eddy Edson said:
A bunch of epidemiologists & vaccine people have been posting "Why We Should Vax Kids" pieces. This is a pretty accessible one: https://gidmk.medium.com/vaccinating-children-against-covid-19-ad9d8801a4e
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Here in the BMJ last week, a disussion on "why we shouldn't vaccinate kids".

Simply put, there is no justification under "emergency use" (as there is no emergency facing children from covid19) to mass vaccinate. However, children at particular risk may still wish to receive a vaccine.

"Unlike for adults, however, the likelihood of severe outcomes or death associated with covid-19 infection is very low for children, undermining the appropriateness of an emergency use authorization for child covid-19 vaccines."

"Unlike for adults, the rarity of severe covid-19 outcomes for children means that trials cannot demonstrate that the balance of the benefits of vaccination against the potential adverse effects are favorable to the children themselves. In short, given the rarity of severe clinical courses and limited clarity of risks, the criteria for emergency use authorization do not appear to be met for children.

"Even in the likely scenario that no significant adverse events materialize, we may still pay a price for the pursuit of emergency use authorizations for covid-19 vaccines in children."

blogs.bmj.com

Covid vaccines for children should not get emergency use authorization - The BMJ

Emergency use authorization for mass child vaccination presents a different balance of risks and benefits than it did for adults, say Wesley Pegden, Vinay Prasad, and Stefan Baral The rapid [...]More...
blogs.bmj.com
 
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Amity Island said:
Here in the BMJ last week, a disussion on "why we shouldn't vaccinate kids".

Simply put, there is no justification under "emergency use" (as there is no emergency facing children from covid19) to mass vaccinate. However, children at particular risk may still wish to receive a vaccine.

"Unlike for adults, however, the likelihood of severe outcomes or death associated with covid-19 infection is very low for children, undermining the appropriateness of an emergency use authorization for child covid-19 vaccines."

"Unlike for adults, the rarity of severe covid-19 outcomes for children means that trials cannot demonstrate that the balance of the benefits of vaccination against the potential adverse effects are favorable to the children themselves. In short, given the rarity of severe clinical courses and limited clarity of risks, the criteria for emergency use authorization do not appear to be met for children.

"Even in the likely scenario that no significant adverse events materialize, we may still pay a price for the pursuit of emergency use authorizations for covid-19 vaccines in children."

blogs.bmj.com

Covid vaccines for children should not get emergency use authorization - The BMJ

Emergency use authorization for mass child vaccination presents a different balance of risks and benefits than it did for adults, say Wesley Pegden, Vinay Prasad, and Stefan Baral The rapid [...]More...
blogs.bmj.com
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A rejoinder:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1391968944328695809
 
Amity Island said:
However, children at particular risk may still wish to receive a vaccine.
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Like those who are significantly overweight? Did you notice the article said "58% of the hospitalized children had no underlying medical condition."?

I must admit I'm not at all sure an effort at mass vaccination of children is that likely to be considered in the UK. All I've heard from government advisors suggests they take the view that children are generally at too low a risk to justify vaccinating them all. I guess that may change if other countries do it.

I do think it's worth considering it once we've offered a vaccination to all adults, if we can get supplies of the mRNA vaccines (or others which look similarly safe).
 
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