JCVI ‘largely opposed’ to Covid vaccination for children under 16

Members of the UK government's expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination remain largely opposed to extending vaccination to younger adolescents, despite politicians having signalled they would like to see a shift in the guidance, The Guardian reported.

Several members of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said the group's sentiment is still extremely cautious about expanding the programme to 12- to 15-year-olds.

The JCVI has moved to "refresh" the membership of its COVID-19 subcommittee in recent weeks, with one prominent critic of vaccination for children, Robert Dingwall, leaving the body.

Jonathan Van-Tam, a deputy chief medical officer, has said it was "more likely than less likely" that the list of eligible children to be vaccination would be broadened.

Committee members said they had not felt political pressure to change their opinions when it came to altering its advice on 16- and 17-year-olds.

However, two committee members said there had been concern that Scotland could go its own way on vaccinating older teenagers, even though the Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said her government will follow JCVI advice.