Parents can now get children between 12-15 vaccinated.

Ireland’s vaccination programme has entered its next phase, with the online portal now accepting appointments for children between the ages of 12 and 15.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly tweeted this morning: “Today parents/guardians of children and young people can register them for a COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA) The first vaccinations for this age group will take place in the coming days.” People in this age cohort will receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

The HSE particularly recommends that a child be vaccinated if they:

• have a health condition that puts them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19
• lives with someone who is at higher risk of COVID-19

The information page for the vaccine for children acknowledges that children are at a lower risk of serious illness as a result of Covid. It reads: “Most children aged 12 to 15 who get COVID-19 have very mild symptoms or no symptoms.

“But children who get COVID-19 need to isolate from other people even if their symptoms are mild. This is to stop the spread of the virus. They need to stay at home for at least 10 days from when they develop symptoms or test positive.”

“1 in 100,000 children in Ireland who get COVID-19 have to go to hospital. This is children up to age 19 who do not have an existing underlying health condition. The risk of them needing intensive care treatment is very low.”

Nevertheless, there are many reasons to get vaccinated, and clinical trials provide ample evidence that the vaccine is safe.

“Children with certain health conditions are at higher risk of severe illness. They are more likely to have to go to hospital with COVID-19,” the HSE says.

“In extremely rare cases COVID-19 can cause a condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

“MIS-C is also known as paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS). It causes pneumonia, inflammation of the heart and difficulty breathing. It can cause death.

“We don’t know yet if there is a risk of long-lasting side effects from COVID-19 in children. This is sometimes called ‘long COVID’.”

More information on clinical trials and benefits of the vaccine can be found here.