Vaccines: Long-Covid fears prompt jabs for school pupils call

Sixteen and 17-year-olds have already started receiving the Covid vaccine

All teenagers should be vaccinated to help stop dangers of developing long-Covid, a virologist has warned.

Dr Richard Stanton, of Cardiff University, said healthy 12 to 15-year-olds should have the jab to stop major disruption in schools.

It comes as Wales' case rate rose to 452.8 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days.

The Welsh government said a decision would be based on the chief medical officer's guidance.

It comes after the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) - which advises governments - said it did not support all children of that age being jabbed, as the health benefits would only be "marginal".

The UK's four chief medical officers have now been asked to have the final say about what happens, and to consider the wider impact on schools and society.

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales, Dr Stanton urged the Welsh government to roll out the vaccines to young people to help prevent them getting ill and missing more school time.

He said while the risk to young people with no underlying health conditions was "very low", one in seven children would get long Covid "several months" after infection.

"I think it's likely vaccination would help with that," he said.

Dr Stanton said he did not believe the JCVI had taken into account how case rates could cause "huge disruption" in schools, adding that if schoolchildren were not vaccinated, the population would never meet herd immunity.

• Why vaccinating all teens is a difficult decision

• Long Covid in children 'nowhere near scale feared'

"We've got this huge disruption to the children themselves and there is the risk those infected children will transmit the virus amongst themselves and take it out into the community," he said.

"So we're going to see much higher rates of spread if we don't consider vaccinating that age group too."

The Welsh government said all 16 to 17-year-olds have been offered the vaccine, with 66.3% taking up the offer of a first jab and more than 54,000 having had it.

Last week, the JVCI had advised widening the existing vaccine programme to include an extra 200,000 teenagers with specific underlying conditions.

Doctors identified that children with chronic heart, lung and liver conditions were at much higher risk than healthy children.

Dr Stanton spoke as eight more people were confirmed to have died with Covid, according to figures published by Public Health Wales (PHW) on Monday.

Three were in Betsi Cadwaladr, two were in Hywel Dda and one each in Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Hywel Dda and Powys health boards.

The figures showed 5,161 new cases have also been confirmed, bringing the total to 293,806.

The average number of cases per day has risen to 2,039, compared to 1,744 a week ago, with "doubling time" rising to 17 days, showing signs of a slow-down.

However, cases remain high in young people, with 46% of all positive tests reported on Monday being taken by those aged under 30, and 23% aged 10-19.

• What are the rules for schools in Wales?

Merthyr Tydfil is the area with the highest case rate in Wales, with 744.3 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days.

How many are in hospital with Covid?

Hospital figures up to last Friday showed that, although case numbers are two-thirds higher than at the same point in the second wave, hospital numbers are 30% of what they were.

Numbers of confirmed Covid patients in hospital beds have risen to 349 - the highest since mid-March and a 50% increase on the week.

Admissions are at a daily average of 34 and there are 47 patients in critical care across Wales, up from 40 the week before.

On Sunday, concerns were raised about the number of people in hospital with Covid who had not had a vaccine.

Chief executive of Cardiff and Vale University health board, Len Richards, took to social media, urging people to get the jab after six people were admitted to critical care, five of whom had not had a vaccine.

Wales' health minister Eluned Morgan said on Friday: "Alongside the other nations of the UK, I have asked my chief medical officer to provide guidance at the earliest opportunity on the clinical and wider health benefits of vaccinating this age group.

"Our intention, as it has been from the start of the pandemic, is to follow the clinical and scientific evidence."

• MOTHERS, MISSILES AND THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT: The story of Greenham told like never before

• FIERCE AND FABULOUS: Hayley Goes... exploring the issues of her generation in a brand new series