WHO says vaccinating children against coronavirus is beneficial, but not urgent

The committee of experts of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the analysis of anticovid vaccines affirmed today that the vaccination of children and adolescents against the COVID-19 It can help in the fight against the pandemic, but it is “less urgent” than immunizing other groups at higher risk.

Children and adolescents usually have moderate symptoms of the disease if they become infected, so their vaccination is a lower priority than that of the elderly, chronically ill and health workers, recalled a statement from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE for their acronym in English).

However, vaccinating children and adolescents can reduce transmission of the coronavirus in those age groups and also between them and adults, so it can prevent measures such as classroom closures from being taken, which prevents disruptions in the education of schoolchildren, the SAGE note admitted.

Given all this, national health systems “must consider the benefits of the individual and the entire population when immunizing children and adolescents,” the experts stressed.

On the other hand, the WHO recalls that inequality of access to vaccines persists, therefore, before considering vaccination of adolescents and children, governments should consider that the doses are first accessible to the highest risk groups.

“While some parts of the world are facing a serious shortage of vaccines, countries that have achieved high vaccination rates among their population at risk must share doses through COVAX,” said SAGE, referring to the platform of the WHO to redistribute vaccines to countries most in need.