Posted on Tuesday 14th Sep 2021
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58547659Healthy children aged 12 to 15 should be offered one dose of a Covid vaccine, the UK's chief medical officers say.
The CMOs said it would help reduce disruption to education.
It comes after the government's vaccine committee said there was not enough benefit to warrant it on health grounds alone - but they said ministers could take into account other factors.
The CMOs concluded this tipped the balance given the virus was going to keep spreading over winter.
They said this would continue to cause disruption to face-to-face education given the policy in all parts of the UK asking people who test positive to isolate for 10 days.
Prof Chris Whitty, the lead CMO for the UK, said it was a "difficult decision" and should not be seen as a "silver bullet".
But he said it could be an "important and useful tool" in reducing school disruption in the coming months and when combined with the marginal health benefit identified by the vaccination committee, meant offering a Covid vaccine to all children was appropriate.
Only the direct benefits to children in this age group were considered in the review rather than the wider impact to society.
Children with health conditions and those living with clinically vulnerable people have already been told they can get the vaccine - and are being offered two doses.
This accounts for around one in eight of the three million children in this age group.
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