GSD: Informing Parents and Children on JCVI Advice on 12-15 Year Olds Being Vaccinated “Makes Sense”
The GSD says that the assertion by Government that the GSD Opposition is more concerned about pandering to the anti-vax lobby than protecting children is an “outrageous lie typical of a Government that only knows that style in defending itself.”
Leader of the Opposition Keith Azopardi said: “How can pointing to the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation [JCVI] be to pander to the anti vax lobby? It is simply to point to the highest and most credible scientific advice in the UK. This is the body that advises the UK Government on all vaccination issues. The JCVI has not recommended that healthy 12-15yr olds be vaccinated because of “uncertainty” of long-term health effects and because of its “marginal benefit.””
A party statement continued: “The JCVI itself sets out that the “main focus of its decision is the benefit to children and young people themselves weighted against any potential harms from vaccination to children and young people.” It set out that there was “a very low risk of serious disease in those aged 12 to 15 years without an underlying health condition that puts them at increased risk. Given this very low risk, considerations on the potential harms and benefits of vaccination are very finely balanced.” In its advice the JCVI stated that for every million doses of the vaccine to healthy 12–15-year-olds it is likely that 87 hospitalisations and 2 ICU admissions would be prevented but that there was a risk of between 3-17 cases of heart inflammation to children. That is why it stated that the judgment was finely balanced when it decided not to recommend vaccination of healthy 12–15-year-olds. It is important to put all those facts as well as educational benefit in front of parents and children so decisions can be taken.
“Is it that the JCVI is pandering to the anti-vax lobby in giving its advice? Or is it that the Government has asked us to follow the science but only follows JCVI recommendations when it wishes? Presumably the JCVI that has some of the most experienced specialists on its Board has given its advice for good reason. In calling the GSD “rash and misguided” for simply pointing to the JCVI advice the Government is in effect saying the JCVI are also rash and misguided which is a bizarre position.
“In presenting the issues in this simplistic and artificial way all that the Government are doing is losing credibility in the face of the fact that it is taking a policy decision to offer vaccines to healthy 12–15-year-olds which the JCVI has not recommended.
“It is true that the UK Government has also taken a policy decision to recommend and offer vaccination to healthy 12– 15-year-olds for wider reasons on advice of its public health officials. The UK’s public health officials in giving their own advice to the UK Government recognised that the risk-benefit issues were “not as clear-cut for children and young people aged 12 to 15. Children, young people and their parents will need to understand potential benefits, potential side effects and the balance between them.” That is precisely what the GSD are doing in making people aware of the JCVI advice.
“The UK Chief Medical Officers added that “it is essential that children and young people aged 12 to 15 are supported in their decision, whatever decisions they take and are not stigmatised either for accepting or not accepting, the vaccination offer. Individual choice should be respected.”
“What the Gibraltar Government cannot do is present the issue in the terms it has as if the GSD Opposition are behaving in an irresponsible way by just reminding people of the JCVI scientific advice when they decide whether to take up the offer or not for their children. That is actually the most responsible decision so that people give informed consent to the vaccination.
“People may opt to do so also for wider reasons. We accept that there are wider issues that legitimately should be considered such as the educational benefit of minimizing disruption to schooling but that does not mean the JCVI advice should be ignored. Worse still it is irresponsible for the Government to in effect trash the JCVI advice or anyone pointing to the JCVI advice as an anti vax conspiracy when it is then purporting to follow the JCVI on many other issues. When parents and 12–15-year-old children take a decision whether they wish to take up the offer of the vaccine it is important that the decision is taken with all the scientific facts before them.”
Mr Azopardi added: “The GSD has supported all aspects of the vaccination programme. In doing so we have followed the science. To point to JCVI advice is also to follow the same science and let people decide in the context of any wider reasons or benefits to children that they accept exist. Or are the Government only going to present people with the scientific facts and advice when it suits their policy position? That would be an alarming position for the Government to take.
“It is precisely because we are concerned about children that we point to that advice. Ultimately it is a fairly weighty consideration for parents to have in mind that the JCVI have not recommended vaccination for non-vulnerable 12–15- year-olds. This is the same JCVI that backed adult vaccination and vaccination of 16–18-year-olds as well as vulnerable teenagers. The Government needs to back away from the arrogant position that they are the only ones who care for children or that unless you agree with their views on everything it is bad for children. That is plain nonsense.”
