Could Babies Be Given Covid-19 Jab?

Babies could soon be eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations after the European Union (EU) approved jabs for children as young as six months old.

The Daily Mail reported that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave the go ahead for babies and toddlers to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccination to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases this winter. 

EMA confirmed the dose would be smaller for infants at just three micrograms compared with 30 micrograms for adults and ten micrograms for children over the age of five.

However, the UK has yet to follow suit, with authorities concerned about potential risks to very young children, particularly as they rarely get significantly ill with Covid-19. 

Professor Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist at the University of East Anglia, told the publication: “I do not see value in vaccinating children that young unless they are susceptible to severe disease.”

He added while some children might benefit from being able to receive the jab, it will not be a huge number.

“I think we are at a stage of the pandemic where if you have had a number of infections, your risk of severe outcomes is lower,” the professor stated.

Earlier this year, the NHS started rolling out the vaccination for children aged between five and 11. They were offered two doses of the jab, claiming this “should give your child long-lasting protection against serious complications of infection, including any future waves due to new variants”. 

Recent government figures revealed nine in ten people over 12 have received two doses of the jab, and seven in ten have had two or more by the end of August 2022. However, 88.7 per cent of kids aged between five and 11 remain unvaccinated. 
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