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Covid vaccines for early teens – Expert Reaction
Children as young as 12 can have their vaccine from 1st Sept, or even earlier if they're accompanying a pre-booked adult.
The decision has come from Cabinet today, after Medsafe gave provisional approval for the 12-15 age bracket in June.
The SMC asked experts to comment on the science behind the decision.
Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, comments:
"This decision from Cabinet is very welcome. We’ve seen Covid-19 outbreaks in schools before now, so it’s great to know that children will be protected in the future. There is concerning evidence coming through now about the impacts of Covid-19 infection on children, for example potential effects on the developing brain. We shouldn’t be exposing our children to risk from this new virus while these effects are not fully understood.
"Assessing the impacts of the vaccine is more straightforward because vaccination is studied in a carefully controlled way. Here in Aotearoa we’ve had an opportunity to assess the results of vaccine trials in children aged 12-15 in the US and elsewhere, followed by population-wide uptake in many countries. In the US alone, just under 7 million children in this age group have had at least one vaccine dose, along with a further 4 million 16-17 year-olds. With that amount of experience to draw on, the evidence for this age group is very clear: getting vaccinated is a much safer choice than getting ill with the infection.
"These good results in teenagers raise the question of vaccinating under-12s. That work is ongoing and we should have the results very soon. At that point it will be important to make a swift but considered decision. If the vaccine is judged to be important for protecting younger children, we will need to start making practical arrangements for implementing that decision right away. As we’re all very well aware by now the Delta variant is extremely transmissible, including in children, and an outbreak can happen at any time."
No conflict of interest declared.
Dr Jin Russell, PhD Student, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, comments:
"A lot of parents will be relieved to hear that children in the 12-15 year age group are able to receive the Pfizer vaccination from 1st September, and earlier if their parents are attending a vaccination clinic and the children are brought along too.
"In the USA, the CDC Covid Data tracker shows that 5 million children in this age group have been vaccinated completely against Covid-19, and of these children, almost half a million became fully vaccinated in the last 14 days. Now New Zealand children can join their overseas peers in being protected.
"Although the overall risk to children is very low compared with that to adults, children who have comorbidities and disabilities are at higher risk of severe illness and hospitalisation if they are infected. We are hearing from parents of disabled children that many are keen to see their children protected.
"I hope that the government will announce strategies to make vaccination an easy option for children, including options for vaccination when schools reopen and options for children with sensory needs."
No conflict of interest.
Associate Professor Tony Walls, University of Otago, Christchurch; and Paediatric Infectious Disease Specialist, comments:
"It is important for young people 12-15 to get vaccinated against COVID-19 for their personal protection.
"I would not be recommending vaccinating children younger than this until there is sufficient safety data in this age group. For NZ the priority should be vaccinating the elderly and those at high risk of severe complications of Covid.
"Children under 16 years of age are generally at less risk of severe disease than older adults if they are infected. While they can get infected and may pass it on to others they are unlikely to be a major source of transmission in our community should there be a large outbreak.
"The Dougherty report from Australia concluded that vaccinating 12-15 year olds would have little impact on the spread of COVID in Australia."
Note: Tony is the Chair of the Infection and Immunisation Special Interest Group of the Paediatric Society of NZ.
No conflict of interest.
Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen (Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Hinerangi), Clinical Director, National Hauora Coalition, comments:
"It is safe and it is the right thing to do.
"Maori and Pacific populations have a much younger age structure. This helps our communities to be protected.
"And yes we should be unequivocal, when the data confirms that the vaccine is safe for younger age groups then we should extend the programme for those younger age groups. We need as many people vaccinated as possible."
No conflict of interest.
Professor Graham Le Gros, Immunologist, Director Malaghan Institute of Medical Research; and Programme Director Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand – Ohu Kaupare Huaketo, comments:
"The use of the Pfizer vaccine in 12-15 year olds has now been shown to be safe with children having the same sort of reactions and responses as adults.
"This is good news as it means we can roll out the vaccine to more people in New Zealand and create a safety barrier of immune people around our members of the community who are vulnerable to severe disease if they get infected with the delta strain. The virus is out there we cannot go on thinking we will keep it out forever, even if we manage to close the spread of infection from this Auckland outbreak, inevitably at some time in the future it will get in again and again.
"I think what is critical is that as a nation we now seriously focus on getting as many people vaccinated as possible, it is the only way our country can return to normality for the sake of our health and people’s livelihoods."
Conflict of interest statement: Professor Le Gros is Programme Director of the Government-funded Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand – Ohu Kaupare Huaketo, a partnership between the Malaghan Institute, the University of Otago and Victoria University of Wellington.
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