Schools are a “ticking time bomb” of Covid-19 transmission, according to Dr. Paddy Mallon.
A professor of microbial diseases has told Independent.ie that the government should consider vaccinating Irish children aged five and up, despite new studies showing Covid-19 deaths are “incredibly rare” in children.
UCD’s Dr. Paddy Mallon said “as a general concept”, Covid-19 vaccines should be “considered for all children – from the very young attending school, which is age five and upwards” in a move he admits “could be seen as contentious.”
His advice comes despite a new series of studies looking at hospital admissions and reported deaths across England which suggests COVID-19 deaths are “incredibly rare” among children, and that the virus carries a lower risk of dying or requiring intensive care among children and young people than was previously understood.
Nature reports that, in a series of preprints published on medRxiv1-3, a team of UK researchers found that Covid-19 was “very rarely fatal” in under-18 year olds, “even among those with underlying comorbidities.”
Mallon concedes that few children become sick with Covid-19, but says the benefits of a vaccination programme for those aged 5 and upwards “could have a wider impact on society.”
The professor’s comments come as the government today announced those aged 16 and 17 can now book a Covid-19 vaccine online, with the National Advisory Committee (NIAC) still considering the risks around offering injections to those under 16.
“The likelihood is that Covid will spread in schools,” Mallon, who also specialises in infectious diseases at St. Vincent’s Hospital, claimed.
“There should be a discussion happening right now about the benefits of vaccinating children.
“All parents and guardians need to be informed so they can make a choice. An upsurge in Covid cases in kids is a ticking time bomb.
“The likelihood of kids who get Covid getting sick is low. But the benefits of vaccinating them could have a much wider impact on society. We know from previous vaccine programmes that childhood vaccinations help protect the elderly and vulnerable.
“The uptake of vaccines in Ireland has been very high compared to some other countries, and that will have a huge impact on how Delta affects us. But this virus is now seeking out those who are unvaccinated.
“At this point, people have two options. You either get a vaccine which will give you a level of protection, or else you will get infected and run the risk of becoming sick. Because so much of society is now vaccinated, if you are unvaccinated, the virus is trying to find you and infect you — that is how it is developing.”