The UK approved a modified Pfizer / BioNTech anti-Covid vaccine formula for 5-11 year olds on Wednesday, December 22, but scientists advising the government have recommended reserving the vaccination only for children at risk.
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While the UK has so far taken a very cautious stance on childhood immunizations, the UK regulator (MHRA) has deemed Pfizer's vaccine to be "
safe and effective
" for children in this age group. which the data show a “
positive risk-benefit ratio
”. "
No new security concerns have been identified,
" June Raine, executive director of the MHRA, said in a statement.
The JCVI, which advises the government on its vaccination campaign, has recommended that children aged 5 to 11 at risk or whose household member is severely immunocompromised be offered vaccination.
The recommendation is to give them two doses of 10 micrograms, one-third the adult dose, eight weeks apart.
Recommendations for every 5-11 year olds will be published later.
While most 5-11 year olds have a "
very low risk of being seriously ill,
" the risk is greater for those with "
underlying health problems
," said Prof. Wei Shen Lim, co- president of JCVI.
The JCVI also recommends extending the recall campaign to the eligible upper age groups.
Relaxation of the rules
In the midst of the surge in cases due to the Omicron variant, the British government has also reduced the period of isolation in England from ten to seven days for vaccinated people who have contracted the coronavirus. As of Wednesday, people who have two negative antigenic tests carried out on the sixth and seventh days will be able to come out of their isolation. According to the government, more people will be able to spend Christmas with their families, without risking transmitting the virus.
This relaxation of the rules comes as the United Kingdom, a country among the most affected by the pandemic in Europe with more than 147,000 deaths, has for some time been facing an outbreak of cases (+90,629 on Tuesday) due to the highly contagious variant Omicron.
However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson again ruled out any new restrictions in England on Tuesday before Christmas.
Wales, which like every British province decides its health policy, told him that from December 26, groups would be limited to a maximum of six people in pubs, restaurants and cinemas.
The service must be at the table and events will be limited to 50 people outside, 30 inside, said Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford.
Read also Covid-19: the HAS gives the green light to the vaccination of all children from 5 to 11 years old
British Minister of Health Sajid Javid also announced on Wednesday the signing of two new contracts with Merck and Pfizer, from which the United Kingdom is buying 1.75 million and 2.5 million additional tablets of their anti-Covid antivirals - molnupiravir and PF-07321332 / ritonavir, respectively.
Antivirals work by reducing the ability of a virus to replicate, thereby slowing down the disease.
These tablet treatments can be taken at home and are a new essential weapon in the fight against the disease.
