Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Experts urge to address poor Covid vaccine access for children

Experts urge to address poor Covid vaccine access for children

EXPERTS have raised concerns around access to Covid jabs for young children as a school-based programme is not likely to be the primary route in England, according to a media report.  

The Guardian reported that the jabs for kids will be offered from April at pharmacies, vaccination centres and, where appropriate, at GP surgeries.


“In principle school programmes would represent an excellent opportunity to reach the target group, but I am not sure how comfortable, especially the younger children – and their parents – would be to receive an injection without (a) parent being present, and this needs to be explored with families,” Beate Kampmann, professor of paediatric infection and immunity, and director of the vaccine centre at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, told The Guardian.

Dr Simon Williams, a behavioural scientist at Swansea University, said he supported plans not to offer Covid vaccinations to five- to 11-year-olds in schools.

A recent survey from the Office for National Statistics found only six in 10 parents of children in that age bracket said they were likely to have their child vaccinated.

“The downside to it being offered through schools is that some parents might feel like this puts undue pressure on their decision, or might feel that it is less optional that way,” he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) itself has noted that offering vaccines to children at school has previously been associated with “higher levels of vaccine coverage with less inequality as measured by ethnicity and indices of deprivation”.

Williams suggested that making the vaccination appointments easy to book and making sure there are enough opportunities, including local and mobile sites and walk-ins, will help.

Dr Helen Salisbury, a GP in Oxford and a member of the Independent Sage committee, told The Guardian: “If we hope to make vaccines easily accessible to all families who want them, it makes sense to do the vaccination in schools which is where the children already are. The school health service would need extra support to do so given vaccine programmes for older children need to continue at the same time."

“The further option of mass vaccination centres is likely to limit the vaccination uptake to the most motivated families who also have access to transport, and is likely to widen inequalities,” she said.

More For You

UK migrant tutor posts

Seema Malhotra (Photo: Getty Images)

Government scraps tutor posts for detained migrants after backlash

HOME OFFICE minister Seema Malhotra has ordered the removal of UK government job advertisements for roles such as a balloon craft tutor, which were being offered to migrants held at a detention centre in London.

The intervention followed a report in The Sun newspaper highlighting job listings worth over £30,000 a year at the Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre (HIRC).

Keep ReadingShow less
Mumbai-Reuters
A drone view of the construction work of the upcoming coastal road in Mumbai, India. (Photo credit: Reuters)
Reuters

India’s economy grows faster than expected as US tariffs pose risk

Highlights:

  • India’s GDP grew 7.8 per cent in April-June, beating forecasts of 6.7 per cent.
  • US has double tariffs on Indian imports to 50 per cent, raising export concerns.
  • Consumer spending rose 7.0 per cent year-on-year, driven by rural demand..

INDIA’s economy expanded faster than expected in the April-June quarter, even as higher US tariffs on Indian imports are set to weigh on activity in the coming months.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hindu group chief urges Indian families to have three children

India's RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat speaks during a question-and-answer session as part of the RSS' three-day lecture series on '100 years of Sangh journey', in New Delhi. (ANI Photo/Ishant Chauhan)

Hindu group chief urges Indian families to have three children

THE head of India's powerful Hindu group, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said that Indian families must have three children each, warning about the long-term risks from the current trend of declining birth rates.

At 1.46 billion, India is the world's most populous nation but the total fertility rate has dropped to less than two children per woman, according to the UN Population Fund's 2025 report, as economic growth gathers momentum.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bangladesh-protests-Getty

Anti-government protesters display Bangladesh’s national flag at Sheikh Hasina’s palace in Dhaka last year. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Bangladesh Election Commission announces roadmap for February polls

BANGLADESH’s Election Commission (EC) on Thursday released a roadmap for the general election, expected to be held in February next year.

The poll schedule will be announced at least 60 days before the voting date, officials said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Karim Khan misconduct

International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan, attends a United Nations Security Council meeting on Sudan and South Sudan at the United Nations headquarters on January 27, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Second woman accuses ICC prosecutor Karim Khan of sexual misconduct

A SECOND woman has accused Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), of sexual misconduct, reported the Guardian.

The woman alleged that while working as an intern for Khan more than a decade ago, he repeatedly subjected her to unwanted sexual advances, abused his senior position, and pressured her into situations where she felt unsafe.

Keep ReadingShow less