WHO says no evidence healthy children, adolescents need COVID-19 boosters By Reuters

(Refiles to repair spelling of adolescents in headline)

(Reuters) – There is no such thing as a proof at current that wholesome youngsters and adolescents want booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the World Well being Group’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan stated on Tuesday.

Talking at a information briefing, she stated that whereas there appears to be some waning of vaccine immunity over time in opposition to the quickly spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus, extra analysis must be achieved to establish who wants booster doses.

“There is no such thing as a proof proper now that wholesome youngsters or heavy adolescents want boosters. No proof in any respect,” she stated.

Israel has begun providing boosters to youngsters as younger as 12, and the U.S. States Meals and Drug Administration earlier this month licensed the usage of a 3rd dose of the Pfizer (NYSE:) and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for youngsters aged 12 to fifteen.

Final week Germany turned the most recent nation to advocate that each one youngsters between ages of 12 and 17 obtain a COVID-19 booster shot. Hungary has additionally achieved so.

Swaminathan stated the WHO’s high group of specialists would meet later this week to think about the precise query of how international locations ought to contemplate giving boosters to their populations.

“The goal is to guard probably the most weak, to guard these at highest danger of extreme illness and dying. These are our aged populations, immuno-compromised folks with underlying situations, but additionally healthcare staff,” she stated.