After a minister said that government experts will soon update their advice, covid vaccines will be offered to UK children aged 16-17.Michelle Donelan, universities minister, stated that the government expected an announcement by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisations (JCVI), regarding a wider access to the coronavirus vaccination to more teenagers.Two weeks after the body had recommended against routine vaccinations of children, two sources from the government confirmed that the JCVI was rethinking its decision. Jabs for children over 12 are only available to those who are medically vulnerable or are living with someone at high risk.The first to reveal the update was Nicola Sturgeon (the Scottish first minister), who stated on Tuesday that she hoped that 16- and 17 year-olds would be given the green light.Donelan answered Sky News' question about why the government is now approving vaccines for 16-year-olds and 17-year olds. He said: We are waiting for the JCVI announcement. At every stage of the pandemic, we have followed their advice. They were the experts when it came to determining the vaccine rollout. We will be waiting for their announcement.It is believed that Ministers were in favor of older children having access to the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines and asked the JCVI for a review.Scientists raised concerns about inflammation of the heart as a result of the Pfizer jab. The JCVI concluded that the risks were not worth the benefits.The government hopes that the country has overcome the third wave. Daily new cases of Covid in the UK fell to 21,691 on Tuesday, and hospital admissions dropped to 731. There were 138 deaths. There are still concerns about the possibility that the number of cases will rise once schools reopen in September. Many employers also expect more workers to return the office.React 1's new findings show that fully vaccinated individuals were three times more likely to be positive for Covid than those who had not been vaccinated. This means there was a 50-60% reduction in the risk of developing asymptomatic or symptomatic colitis. Ipsos mori and Imperial College London also found that double-vaccinated individuals are less likely to spread the virus to others.These estimates are slightly lower than those from Public Health England, which have shown 79% protection against symptoms in Delta following two jabs.The React study estimates were subject to considerable statistical uncertainty. However, Professor Paul Elliott, director and chair of epidemiology at Imperial College London and in public health medicine, suggested that the differences in effectiveness even when compared against symptomatic Covid might be due to the populations involved. PHEs data is not based on random samples but rather those who have come forward for testing.He said that a random selection of people may show symptoms, but may not be able to go for a test.Older teens are the most vulnerable group to Covid infections. Vaccinating children 16-17 years old could help reduce transmission.Professor Rowland Kao is a participant in Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group Modeling (SpiM). He is also an epidemiologist at Edinburgh. He stated: Older teenagers have the highest rate of Covid-19 infection per capita. Vaccinating 16- and 17 year-olds should decrease this risk.Evidence suggests that even vaccinated people are more likely to contract severe diseases and to have their viral load drop faster than those who are not vaccinated. This could lead to them being less likely to infect others. However, this is hard to prove.It is possible that older teens will be vaccinated to protect themselves and others from infection.However, this must be balanced by evidence of occasional side effects of vaccines. Some evidence suggests that these occur more frequently in older adults.Although this is a low risk, it is important to have clear evidence for any decision regarding further vaccinations of older teens.
