Although we’ve yet to offer the vaccine to most children aged 12-15 in the UK, the vaccine is widely available to over 12s across Europe.
“The big question regarding vaccinating youngsters has been whether the benefits outweigh the risks,” Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist and professor of molecular oncology from the University of Warwick previously said.
“Increasing data from the US where nearly 9 million 12 to 17-year-olds have been vaccinated and the extension of vaccines to teenagers in Canada and France has provide reassurance that the Pfizer vaccine is safe with serious side effects being very rare.”
Dr Peter English, a retired consultant in communicable disease control, added: “The UK medicines regulator approved the vaccines from the of 12 years in early June, and other countries, such as the USA and Canada, have been offering the vaccine routinely to children aged 12+ for some time now, so we have an abundance of safety data for this age group.”
Just like adults, kids might get side effects from the jab. But the evidence so far suggests these side effects will usually be mild and pass quickly.
A study of vulnerable children aged 12-15 who’ve already had the jab found that vaccine side effects are “likely to be mild to moderate and clear up quickly” in this group.
Although the study numbers are small, the researchers said they hoped the data, which is published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, should offer reassurance to parents and clinicians.
According to a survey of 10 to 17-year-olds in the UK by the the Children’s Society, 62% of children said they want to get a Covid jab, while 11% said they would not want to. The rest are unsure, so we can expect to see more public health campaigns soon if the rollout is extended.
