“We need to vaccinate children because they can get and transmit Covid – to protect the health of the child but also those who are not able to be vaccinated, or for whom vaccination isn’t as effective,” she said.
But Prof Fiona Russell, the director of child and adolescent health at the University of Melbourne, said the decision to vaccinate teenagers was complex.
“Many paediatricians are concerned about vaccinating teenagers right now when there is not enough information on safety,” she said.
“It is very uncommon for children to die or end up in hospital with Covid. Those that do usually have underlying conditions,” Russell said. One large UK study found that children accounted for less than 1% of hospitalised cases.