UK ministers 'to be advised against mass vaccination for children'

MPs are reportedly considering whether or not to vaccinate children below the age of 18 against Covid-19

A child, 9, is held by her mother as she receives the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine during a clinical trial for children at Duke University in the US. Reuters

UK ministers will be advised against the mass distribution of Covid-19 vaccinations to children below the age of 18 until scientists obtain more data on the risks, it was reported on Tuesday.

Experts on the country's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation are understood to be preparing an interim statement for release as soon as the end of the week after a meeting on Tuesday.

"Scientists want to see more data from the US and elsewhere before taking a firm stand either way," a government source told The Telegraph.

"Nobody is going to make a final decision at this point. The JCVI will want to weigh up the benefits against the risks before vaccinating children and it wants more data."

The report said committee members were understood to have voiced ethical concerns about vaccinating children as they rarely suffer severe Covid-19, the paper reported.

This month, Britain's medicines regulator extended approval of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for children between 12 and 15.

The regulator said it would now be up to the committee to decide whether to inoculate this age group as part of Britain's vaccination distribution programme.