Should Australia vaccinate children against COVID-19?
Article by: HealthTimes | Published: 02-07-2021
Photo: COVID vaccine for children
Experts suggest vaccination of children must be part of Australia’s exit strategy, especially with the Delta variant.
As a result of the current Greater Sydney COVID-19 outbreak with the Delta variant, we have seen numerous school children exposed, with hundreds of students from affected schools having to test and self-isolate.
Recent reports from countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Israel and the UK also suggest a spike in the number of school children exposed to the more transmissible, Delta variant.
Currently, the US is vaccinating children over the age of 12, with Singapore prioritising the vaccination of 12 to 18-year-olds ahead of adults aged 19 to 39 years. The UK recently approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children aged 12 to 15.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is evolving, with new and more infectious variants taking hold. But how do these variants occur and what makes some more contagious than others?