Whether all children under 12 years of age should be vaccinated against COVID-19 remains
an ongoing debate. The relatively low risk posed by acute COVID-19 in children, and
uncertainty about the relative harms from vaccination and disease mean that the balance of
risk and benefit of vaccination in this age group is more complex. One of the key arguments
for vaccinating healthy children is to protect them from long-term consequences. Other
considerations include population-level factors, such as reducing community transmission …

The recent authorisation of vaccines against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, raises
important questions about prioritising the vaccine to those who are most likely to benefit from
protection. Unlike influenza vaccines, it is currently not known whether any of the SARS-CoV-
2 vaccines can interrupt onward transmission to others. The decision to vaccinate must,
therefore, be made on the direct protection offered by the vaccine to those who are
vaccinated. The highest burden of severe disease, hospitalisation and death lies among …