Updated ANZPID Statement on Primary School aged (5-to 11-year-olds) children and COVID vaccines
The Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Infectious Diseases Group (ANZPID) of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) supports the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) advice on COVID vaccinations for 5-to 11-year-olds in Australia, following their review of safety and efficacy data on these vaccines in children.
Like ATAGI, we believe in the benefits of vaccination for children and also support the rights of children and their families to make an informed decision about vaccination. There is a clear need to support parents and guardians in their decision-making around COVID vaccines, by providing information, education, ongoing publicly available safety surveillance data and appropriate services. The COVID vaccine will be available alongside other important childhood vaccinations and we encourage and support the use of all vaccinations approved on the Australian and New Zealand schedules for this age group.
We agree with ATAGI, that COVID vaccination should not be mandatory in this age group. Being unvaccinated should not be a reason to routinely exclude children from school and other activities critical to their development and well-being. Children have borne a disproportionate burden during the pandemic and should not be excluded from educational or social activities dependent on their COVID vaccination status.
We recognise an urgent need for more equitable vaccine distribution around the globe and that Australia and New Zealand, as high-income countries, must contribute to this. It is unfair and unjust that in many countries even the most vulnerable populations do not yet have available COVID vaccines and vaccination programs.
In providing COVID vaccines to Australia’s children, we ask that governments prioritise equitable distribution of these vaccines to vulnerable populations, and continue to strongly support and enhance existing vaccination programs in this population, including for influenza and other routine child and adolescent vaccines.