Australia changes coronavirus vaccination recommendation for children: Now "not recommended"

The Australian Department of Health has changed its recommendation for Covid-19 vaccination for children and young people under 18 years of age.

According to the updated Australian Immunisation Handbook guidance , vaccination is no longer recommended for healthy infants, children and adolescents without underlying medical conditions that increase the risk of serious disease.

This decision is based on the finding that the risk of severe coronavirus disease in this age group has been extremely low during the pandemic, it states. The potential benefits of vaccination are "not considered sufficient" to outweigh possible risks, such as side effects (e.g., myocarditis).

Corona vaccination for children was recommended for a long time

Previously, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommended Covid-19 vaccination for adolescents aged 12 and over in August 2021, initially for at-risk groups before expanding it to everyone in this age group from September 2021.

Following the approval of Pfizer-Biontech's mRNA vaccine Comirnaty in July 2021, the ATAGI recommended vaccinating adolescents to prevent severe disease, reduce virus transmission, and avoid school closures. However, contrary to the manufacturer's initial claims, the vaccine was found to be ineffective in protecting against infection, especially against later variants such as Omikron.

The approval and recommendation of Comirnaty was supported by international health authorities such as the World Health Organization ( WHO ), with the WHO prioritizing vaccination for adolescents aged 12 years and older, particularly in countries with sufficient vaccine resources.

In Germany, the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommended COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 12 years of age and older in August 2021, initially focusing on high-risk groups before expanding it to all adolescents in this age group. This recommendation has been adjusted over time, with vaccination no longer being routinely recommended for healthy children and adolescents since 2023, but only for high-risk groups.

The website of the Federal Ministry of Health ( BMG ) currently states that vaccination is recommended for everyone aged 18 and over. By April 2023, approximately 5.4 million children in Germany in the 5- to 11-year-old age group had been vaccinated against Covid-19 at least once. Among 12- to 17-year-olds, approximately 4.5 million adolescents had received at least one mRNA vaccination.