Children aged 12 to 15 should be offered a COVID vaccine, the UK's chief medical officers (CMOs) have decided.
The medical officers said their recommendation to the government was made after considering "what effect this will have on transmission in schools and effects on education".
"It's a useful tool to reduce the disruption," they said.
Healthy children should be offered a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine and the rollout should begin "as soon as possible", they added.
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The move means around three million children could be eligible for the jab, which is expected to be given through schools.
The government has confirmed it will "set out" its decision "shortly" following the recommendation.
In their advice to the government, the CMOs said they were recommending vaccines on "public health grounds" and it was "likely vaccination will help reduce transmission of COVID-19 in schools".
They added: "COVID-19 is a disease which can be very effectively transmitted by mass spreading events, especially with Delta variant.
"Having a significant proportion of pupils vaccinated is likely to reduce the probability of such events which are likely to cause local outbreaks in, or associated with, schools.
"They will also reduce the chance an individual child gets COVID-19. This means vaccination is likely to reduce (but not eliminate) education disruption."
The CMOs have asked for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to look at whether second doses should be given to those aged 12 to 15 once more data comes through internationally.
This will not be before the spring term.
The CMOs think a single dose will significantly reduce the chance of a young person getting COVID and passing the virus on.
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After seeking advice from a range of experts, including medical colleges, the CMOs said they consider education "one of the most important drivers of improved public health and mental health".
But the CMOs added: "Local surges of infection, including in schools, should be anticipated for some time. Where they occur, they are likely to be disruptive."
The NHS in England had already been asked to prepare to roll out vaccines for all 12 to 15-year-olds in the event the CMOs recommended the programme.
In a news conference at Downing Street, England's chief medical officer said it was agreed by the CMOs that vaccination would reduce disruption to education.
Professor Chris Whitty said: "Our view was the benefit exceeded the risk to a sufficient degree that we are recommending to our ministers in all four nations that they make a universal offer - and I want to stress the word 'offer' - of vaccination to children 12 to 15, in addition to the ones that have already been given it.
"That is our current advice to ministers and it is now with them to decide in each of the four nations how they wish to respond."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We have received advice from the four UK chief medical officers on offering COVID-19 vaccination to young people aged 12-15.
"We will set out the government's decision shortly."
It comes following a review by the four CMOs of the decision by the JCVI not to advise the move.
Last week, the JCVI said it would not be recommending giving COVID vaccines to children aged 12 to 15 on health grounds alone.
Children recently returned to school and there are concerns of a rise in cases following the summer holidays.
The JCVI advised the government to look at "wider issues" - including the impact on schooling - when making the final decision.
The independent regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for those aged 12 and over after ruling they met strict standards of safety and effectiveness.
In its advisory report, the JCVI said the "individual" health benefits from vaccination for children aged 12 to 15 was small.
The risk of potentially serious side effects - including myocarditis - is "very rare, but potentially serious".
The Department of Health previously said that, like other school vaccination programmes, parent or carer consent will be sought.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid told Sky News that a child's decision "will prevail" in the case of a conflict.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health welcomed the recommendation by the CMOs - but called for further measures to prevent disruption to education and wellbeing.
It said vaccination would allow children "to have less interruption to school attendance" and "give more protection to friends and family members whose health may be at risk from the virus".
But it added vaccination is "not a silver bullet" and "must be part of a concerted overall plan" to ensure "uninterrupted access" to school.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihwFodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9jb3ZpZC0xOS1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy12YWNjaW5lcy10by1iZS1vZmZlcmVkLXRvLWNoaWxkcmVuLWFnZWQtMTItdG8tMTUtY2hpZWYtbWVkaWNhbC1vZmZpY2Vycy1kZWNpZGUtMTI0MDI4NTXSAYsBaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2NvdmlkLTE5LWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXZhY2NpbmVzLXRvLWJlLW9mZmVyZWQtdG8tY2hpbGRyZW4tYWdlZC0xMi10by0xNS1jaGllZi1tZWRpY2FsLW9mZmljZXJzLWRlY2lkZS0xMjQwMjg1NQ?oc=5
2021-09-13 13:57:59Z
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