COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 5–11 years

Vaccinating children aged under 5 years against covid-19

“…26 Covid-19 vaccination may protect children under 5 at high risk of severe disease. 27 But the case for mass vaccination of healthy under 5s seems less compelling, 15 particularly in developed countries where risk of mortality from covid-19 in this age group is so low. 28 However, the balance of benefits and risks may change as new variants emerge.…”

“…Covid-19 vaccination could reduce incidence of severe disease among under 5s considered at highest risk15 and may protect them against the rarer multisystem inflammatory syndrome, as observed in children aged over 12 years 18. This complication has also been reported after covid-19 vaccination in older children, but at lower rates than occur following natural infection 19.…”

“…Should children under 5 years be vaccinated against covid-19? In high income settings such as the UK the benefit of vaccination for healthy children under 5 years is likely to be even more marginal than it is for older children 15. Most under 5s will have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 already.…”

“…In high income settings such as the UK the benefit of vaccination for healthy children under 5 years is likely to be even more marginal than it is for older children. 15 Most under 5s will have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 already. For example, 75% of children aged 0-11 years in the US had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in February 2022, 16 and this figure has probably increased.…”

“…Uncertainty remains about how much additional protection the vaccine offers against covid-19 or how long antibodies last compared with antibodies developed through natural immunity. 17 Covid-19 vaccination could reduce incidence of severe disease among under 5s considered at highest risk 15 and may protect them against the rarer multisystem inflammatory syndrome, as observed in children aged over 12 years. 18 This complication has also been reported after covid-19 vaccination in older children, but at lower rates than occur following natural infection.…”