Will the Welsh Government confirm the level of priority given to clinically extremely vulnerable people below the age of 16 for COVID-19 vaccinations?
The Welsh Government’s COVID-19 immunisation programme is based on expert advice from the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
This states there is very limited data on vaccination in adolescents, with no data on vaccination in younger children, at this time. The committee advises that, as almost all children will have asymptomatic infection or mild disease, only those children at very high risk of exposure and serious outcomes, such as older children with severe neuro-disabilities that require residential care, should be offered vaccination.
Clinicians should discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with a person with parental responsibility, who should be told about the current lack of safety data for the vaccine in children under 16.