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12th August 2021
05:01pm BST

NIAC has stressed that vaccinating children is the best way to protect them from COVID-19. They said: "We are dealing with a novel infection that we know can have consequences for children."
Professor Karina Butler, head of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, reassured parents that the vaccine is safe.
“We feel it will be a step towards giving children the wider benefit and normalising their growing up and life experience as they have suffered greatly during the pandemic from all those extra curtailments on life.”
"I can understand why parents might be hesitant because this is a novel vaccine, but we're also dealing with a novel infection that we know can have consequences for children."
"We believe that the benefits outweigh the risks and thus we have recommended that the vaccine be made available for those aged 12 to 15 years of age."
She added, "The reason we've made these recommendations is to protect children from the very mild infections of COVID and from the very rare complications of COVID that can affect even healthy children rarely."
"We would absolutely encourage those who have underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk of Covid to avail of the vaccine as soon as it is offered."
Most children will only have mild symptoms if they test positive for COVID-19, but there are rare complications like an inflammatory condition, which tends to occur weeks after infection. Children can also suffer from long Covid.
"Some children, mainly those with underlying conditions, can end up seriously ill," NIAC warned.Explore more on these topics: