The government of Britain said on Saturday that it has ordered the country’s health service to prepare for a mass vaccination program COVID-19 for children aged 12 to 15 years, which will begin in September. This was reported by Reuters.
The first dose of the vaccine has already been offered to all adolescents aged 16 and 17, as well as children aged 12 to 15 with certain major illnesses and those with weakened immunity.
The U.K. has not yet followed the example of many other countries that have begun to widely vaccinate children under the age of 16.
Consultants are currently weighing the possible disadvantages and advantages of such an expansion.
However, British health authorities have already stated that the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are safe and effective for people between the ages of 12 and 17.
The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their own health policy powers. As in England, COVID-19 vaccination is not currently available to all children between the ages of 12 and 15.
On Friday, the White House reported that half of U.S. children ages 12 to 17 received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Most children develop few or no symptoms of COVID-19 but are able to spread the virus.
