Sweden refuses to recommend vaccinating children under 12: “We see no clear advantage”
The Swedish government has declined to recommend vaccinating children under the age of 12 for covid-19 after determining that there would be little medical benefit from doing so.
The Swedish Public Health Agency said in a press release on Thursday that the medical benefit for an individual child aged 5-11 who has received a general vaccination against covid-19 “is currently small”, and that the situation is “constantly” assessed, it has been decided that do not recommend a general vaccination of children under 12 years until the spring term 2022.
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“With the knowledge we have today, with a low risk of serious diseases for children, we see no clear advantage in vaccinating them,” said Britta Björkholm, health authority, during a press conference. It reported Reuters.
Karin Tegmark Wisell, Director General of the Agency, said that an updated guide will be provided before the autumn term, said the press release.
“A general vaccination from the age of 5 is also not expected to have a major effect on the spread of infection at present, neither in the group of children aged 5–11 nor among other groups in the population,” the press release states.
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The Swedish government has recommended vaccines for children 12 and older since October 2021 and recommends vaccines for high-risk children between 5 and 11 years.
The news comes a day after the Swedish government extended covid-19-related restrictions by two weeks, including limited opening hours and capacity restrictions for restaurants and indoor premises, Reuters reported.