The UK's vaccine advisory body has refused to give the green light to vaccinating healthy children

[NH Ethylene]

The UK's vaccine advisory body has refused to give the green light to vaccinating healthy children aged 12-15 years on health grounds alone. The JCVI said children were at such a low risk from the virus that jabs would offer only a marginal benefit. The UK's four chief medical officers have now been asked to have the final say, and to consider the wider impact on schools and society.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58438669

Is it worth it to give teenagers and younger kids the vaccine? I wondered about the risk vs benefit after the heart inflammation problem arose but could not objective information to make a comparison.

The article compares risks:

Data from the US, where millions of young teenagers have been vaccinated, suggests there are 60 cases of the heart condition for every million second doses given to 12 to 17-year-old boys (compared to eight in one million girls).

And,

Paediatricians say that healthy children with Covid end up in intensive care at a rate of two in one million, but this rises to 100 in one million for children with certain health problems.

Long Covid was not a factor in the comparison because it's not known how many children experience it. The impact on others was not a part of the Advisory Board's calculations either.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. How exactly are they defining healthy children?

[NH Ethylene]

5. Those who do not have medical conditions such as those that are listed in the article. n/t

[RockRaven]

2. From an overarching societal perspective this is insanity...

Leaving 15-20% of your population categorically and purposely unvaccinated (they're talking 12-15 but obviously under12 is also unvaxxed), right off the top never mind the additional antivaxxers, is going to ensure you never keep new strains (which may evade vaccine- or prior infection-immunity) from developing.

It's very much in line with conservative "rugged individualism" bullshit wherein everyone behaves like a psychopathic asshole, though.

It is frankly immoral, IMO, to parse the difference between six and two deaths per million in one particular age cohort, when the result of making that distinction is continued constant exposure of the general public to an airborne infectious disease which kills hundreds to thousands per million in other age cohorts.

[NH Ethylene]

6. It seems they were looking strictly at risks to the kids.

And not considering societal impacts.

It will be interesting to see if the recommendation is followed.

[BigmanPigman]

3. The UK's Covid cases are rising AGAIN!

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/

They started to decline a tiny bit a few weeks ago bit barely enough to notice. Now the numbers are rising again since they never really got over Delta. They should rethink their vaccines for teenagers before the Winter season hits.

[OnDoutside]

4. My 13 year old nephew in Florida got fully vaccinated back in June, and

In 3 hours time, my 15 year old son is getting his second dose of Pfizer. The risks vastly outweigh the known potential side effects, especially as restrictions are slowly being lifted here in Ireland. And even the heart inflammation is a treatable issue.

[LeftishBrit]

7. Since then they've decided...

that putting everything together (e.g. the dangers to education if there are frequent outbreaks with absences or even school closures) the benefits to kids of 12 and over outweigh the risks.

It won't be mandatory but it will be offered.

[NH Ethylene]

8. Thank-you for the update!

That is good to know that they decided, in balance with all the other factors, that it is a benefit to get the vaccine for that age group.