Coronavirus vaccines for healthy children aged between 12 and 15 are not being recommended by the UK's vaccine advisory body - but the country's four chief medical officers are currently reviewing the matter further.
Where an agreement to take up the offer of a vaccine cannot be reached between parents and children, a child’s decision “will prevail”, Sajid Javid has said.
The health secretary told Sky News consent will be sought from parents of 12 to 15-year-olds over COVID jabs as it has been “for decades”, but that if a child is believed to be competent enough to make the decision themselves, they “will prevail”.
His comments suggest most individuals in this age category will be able to give their own consent to receive the COVID-19 vaccine if parents object to the jab.
Coronavirus vaccines for healthy children aged between 12 and 15 are not being recommended by the UK’s vaccine advisory body – but the country’s four chief medical officers are currently reviewing the matter further.
The assessment provided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) was that the COVID jab should not be recommended to those in this age group on health grounds alone, but the body advised the government to look at “wider issues” including the impact of the virus on schooling.
The UK’s four chief medical officers will provide further advice on the vaccination of young people in this age group following the assessment provided by the JCVI.
A final decision on whether COVID vaccines will be offered those in this age bracket is expected to be “in the coming days”, Mr Javid told Sky News.
“I want to give them [the JCVI] the breathing space, it’s their independent view and that’s exactly what it should be. But I would expect to hear from them in the next few days,” he said.
Mr Javid added: “If there is a difference of opinion between the child and the parent then we have specialists that work in this area, the schools vaccination service. They would usually literally sit down with the parent and the child, and try to reach some kind of consensus.
“If ultimately that doesn’t work, as long as we believe that the child is competent enough to make this decision then the child will prevail.”
Sky News understands ministers are optimistic that COVID-19 vaccines will be offered to all 12 to 15-year-olds despite advisers failing to recommend it.
Sources say the government is keen to offer vaccinations to all children in that age group – and think parents would find it reassuring.
The independent medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, has approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for those aged 12 and over.
Efforts are already under way to recruit thousands of vaccinators for schools, and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has previously said he “very much hopes” the under-16s could be vaccinated.
Asked how he would feel about children of his own, if in that age group, having COVID jabs, Mr Javid told Sky News: “I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to pass a judgment because I’m waiting for an independent view.”
On Tuesday, a clinical lead for COVID services said some children as young as 12 should be allowed to overrule their parents on whether they have the vaccine
Dr David Strain told Sky News he believed there were 12-year-olds “mature enough” to decide to have the coronavirus jab without the consent of their legal guardians.
Dr Strain, who is senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, said a school nurse or GP could assess whether a child is capable of consenting to having the vaccine, even if their parents were opposed to it.
Last month, the vaccination programme was extended to all 16 and 17-year-olds – resulting in 1.4 million teenagers being offered a jab.
At the weekend, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said he was disappointed by the JCVI decision not to recommend jabs for all 12 to 15-year-olds.
He added that while they respect it, it could mean it is “more difficult during the autumn term and beyond to guard against educational disruption caused by transmission of the virus”.
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