Just one in 10 children in Wales between the ages of five and 11 years old has received a coronavirus vaccine since it first started being offered two months ago. According to statistics from Public Health Wales, 11.1% of children in this age group have had their first dose, while 0.8% have had both their first and second.
The jab was first offered to five to 11-year-olds in Wales on March 17 to increase their immunity against severe Covid in advance of a potential future wave and to minimise disruption to their education. Parents and guardians need to consent to the children having the vaccine.
For most children and young people Covid is a mild illness and rarely leads to complications. However, small numbers of children can get seriously unwell and need a spell in hospital, while some are also known to suffer from coronavirus symptoms many weeks after they're initially infected. You can get more health news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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Those at greater risk of harm from the virus are being given two doses of the vaccine eight weeks apart, but most will have it 12 weeks apart. The preferred vaccine for five to 11-year-olds is the Pfizer jab, brand name Comirnaty, which is administered as a 10 microgram dose rather than 30 micrograms for those aged 12 to 17.
Scientists claim the lower take-up among primary school-aged children is due to a perception that Covid poses little risk to younger children. Professor Russell Viner of University College London, who was part of the now-disbanded Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, told the Guardian that parents should be reassured by the near absence of side-effects after widespread take-up in the US, which approved the vaccine last November.
"It's a vaccination that probably isn't particularly beneficial for this age group," Prof Viner said. "However, it has a very, very good safety profile. And given that we remain in a pandemic, there's an argument that for individual parents, the balance of risks would appear to be towards vaccination.
"The benefits for the whole healthy population [of five to 11-year-olds] are particularly around a reduction in school disruption, and the prevention of onward transmission to others," he said. "However, for Omicron, the vaccines are pretty poor at preventing onward transmission.
"So I think the benefits of vaccination for this age group are very marginal. But that's different for those who are highly, clinically vulnerable. They are vulnerable to any respiratory virus and Covid is more serious than others."
Similarly, despite the vaccine being available for 12 to 15-year-olds since October 4, there remain close to 40% of this age group in Wales who have yet to have their first dose, while more than half (54.9%) have not had their full course.
Dr Peter English, a retired consultant in communicable disease control and former chair of the BMA Public Health Medicine Committee, warned that parents should be aware that a significant proportion of children went on to develop long Covid. "Some will sustain damage to their organs or immune system that could leave them still unwell months or years after infection," he told the Guardian.
A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: "Getting vaccinated continues to be a safe and effective way to protect against serious illness and hospitalisation with Covid-19.
"We are encouraging parents, guardians and children to access up-to-date and factual information from trusted sources to help them decide on whether to accept the offer of vaccination. We have worked closely with Public Health Wales and the Children's Commissioner for Wales to produce materials aimed at five to 11 years to outline the benefits of vaccination. These have been shared with parent groups and through our education channels including schools."
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