Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK panel says it 'would not recommend' jabbing healthy teens

UK panel says it 'would not recommend' jabbing healthy teens

THE UK government's independent advisory body on vaccines has said that it would not recommend jabbing all 12- to 15-year-olds against coronavirus, arguing the benefits were "too small".

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a panel of experts that advises ministers, has been weighing the issue after numerous other countries began giving the jabs to young teens.


It has previously recommended giving approved Covid-19 vaccines to all 16- and 17-year-olds but only to 12- to 15-year-olds who have underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus.

On the advice of the JCVI, Britain's four chief medical officers -- in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland -- will now provide further input ahead of a final government decision.

The committee, which focuses purely on health effects, wants them to consider the "wider societal impacts, including educational benefits" of whether to roll out vaccines to younger teens.

Schools have returned recently across Britain following the summer break, with fears that this could lead to a new surge in cases after weeks of moderate rises in infections.

In its recommendation, the JCVI argued the benefits from vaccination are "marginally greater than the potential known harms" of the inoculations, while acknowledging there was "considerable uncertainty" about those.

"The margin of benefit, based primarily on a health perspective, is considered too small to support advice on a universal programme of vaccination of otherwise healthy 12- to 15-year-old children at this time," it said.

"As longer-term data on potential adverse reactions accrue, greater certainty may allow for a reconsideration of the benefits and harms."

The recommendation contrasts with the US, which announced in May that younger teens would be vaccinated, and many European Union countries including France which have begun jabbing that age group.

All four health ministers in the UK wrote Friday (3) to their respective chief medical officers requesting they give a "broader perspective" on the issue.

"We will then consider the advice from the chief medical officers, building on the advice from the JCVI, before making a decision shortly," England's Health Secretary Sajid Javid said in a statement.

Britain began vaccinations in December last year and has jabbed nearly 89 per cent of all adults with a first dose, while more than 79 per cent have two shots.

The latest data from Public Health England and Cambridge University shows vaccines have saved more than 105,000 lives and prevented 143,600 hospitalisations and 24 million cases in England, according to the government.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less