British doctors are concerned about “Chambuli” offering “Covid” stab wounds to children | Vaccines and immunization

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Pediatricians in the UK have expressed alarm at the introduction of a “brave” vaccine for children, saying that doctors were “left in the dark” about program plans and unable to answer patients’ questions.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said there were still no plans in place to vaccinate people at risk aged 12-15, despite announcing that the vaccine would be extended to healthy people over 16 years old.

Dr Camilla Kingdon, President of the RCPCH, said: “The launch of the adult vaccine program has been incredibly impressive, but for children and young adults, it has been frankly scary. This is the second announcement about vaccinations for children or young adults in the past three weeks but we haven’t yet seen detailed plans for the first launch.”

Kingdon said parents and pediatricians were “left to the brink of how and when children and young adults will be invited for vaccinations”. “There has been no information for the parents nor for the young people themselves, and this is causing confusion and, for some families, real anxiety,” she said.

She said doctors desperately need information to communicate with parents. “Questions are constantly being asked of our members by young people or their parents without them having answers because systems are not in place and detailed advice is not given,” she said. “In England, at least, the national reservation system for Covid vaccinations is still not booking anyone under 18, more than two weeks after the ministerial announcement.”

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, which on Wednesday recommended that the vaccines be given to those over 16, suggested that vaccinations for children aged 12 to 15 will follow once more data is collected. The change comes just two weeks after it said it would not recommend vaccines for healthy children, but that those with significant disabilities or living with at-risk adults could be vaccinated.

In its revised advice on Wednesday, the JCVI said the expanded childhood vaccination program could cause schools to be disrupted, and that schools would need additional resources. It has not been confirmed whether schools are expected to host the vaccinations, or whether they will take place elsewhere.

Introducing a Covid-19 vaccine program for children and young adults is likely to disrupt education in the short term, especially if school buildings are used for immunization. JCVI advice says that adverse reactions to vaccination (eg fever) may also put some individuals away from education. “Significant additional resources will be required to reduce the operational impacts of the Covid-19 vaccine program on the broader health of children and youth.”

Liz Kendall, the shadow health secretary, said a plan was badly needed. “The lack of a plan, reservation system, or information on how a rollout of a pediatric vaccine will work, more than two weeks after the first announcement of childhood vaccinations, is frightening,” she said.

“Ministers are once again failing parents, youth and teachers. The plan to vaccinate children is long overdue and the reservation system must be opened as soon as possible to avoid any undue disruption at the start of the school year. Ministers must tighten their grip.”

Speaking on Wednesday at a news conference to announce the punches for 16-year-olds, England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van Tam, said the program would not start immediately.

“Kids will start going back to colleges and sixth form from September and in Scotland it will be a little bit earlier so there’s no time to waste moving forward on this,” he said. “I want us to go as fast as practicable. It won’t be tomorrow, I don’t think it’s likely early next week… I expect this program to start in a very short number of weeks.”

The Ministry of Health has been contacted for comment.

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