COVID vaccines are not needed for healthy kids and teens, says World Health Organization

Healthy children and teens likely don’t need COVID-19 vaccinations, according to updated guidance posted on the website of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday.

WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) met last week to create a revised roadmap for COVID vaccinations.

The new roadmap defines three priority groups — high, medium and low — based on the "risk of severe disease and death" when contracting the virus.

Healthy kids between 6 months and 17 years old are now deemed low priority.

The agency said that for this group, "traditional essential vaccines" for illnesses like rotavirus, measles, polio and pneumococcal conjugate have a greater impact.

In the new roadmap, the agency also released updated guidance on COVID booster doses.

"Updated to reflect that much of the population is either vaccinated or previously infected with COVID-19, or both, the revised roadmap reemphasizes the importance of vaccinating those still at-risk of severe disease, mostly older adults and those with underlying conditions, including with additional boosters," stated SAGE Chair Dr. Hanna Nohynek in a press release on the WHO website.

Children who have compromised immune systems or existing health conditions should still get the vaccine.

"Countries should consider their specific context in deciding whether to continue vaccinating low-risk groups, like healthy children and adolescents, while not compromising the routine vaccines that are so crucial for the health and well-being of this age group," the doctor continued.

In the press release, SAGE encourages countries to consider factors including "disease burden, cost-effectiveness, and other health or programmatic priorities and opportunity costs" when making decisions about vaccine requirements for healthy children and teens.... (Read more)

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