COVID-19 vaccines: British health officials refuse to approve shots for healthy children ages 12-15

British health officials have refused to approve COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children aged 12-15 years old.

Ministers have asked the officials to review the guidance in light of possible issues that might arise as the school term gets under way. The current guidance would allow for teens with underlying conditions or vulnerable parents to get the shot.

The decision on healthy children was based on concern over an extremely rare side effect of the Pfizer vaccine that causes heart inflammation, the BBC reported.

“The margin of benefit is considered too small to support universal COVID-19 vaccination for this age group at this time,” said Wei Shen Lim, chair of COVID immunization for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI). “The committee will continue to review safety data as they emerge.”

The current program, which already includes some children with preexisting conditions, will now extend to include children with chronic heart, lung and liver conditions – accounting for some 200,000 children who previously did not qualify, according to The Telegraph.- READ MORE