At this stage of the pandemic, where we are dealing with Omicron-derived variants that are less aggressive than the original SarsCoV2 virus and where a large part of the population is vaccinated or has contracted the infection, vaccinating healthy children and adolescents may not be necessary, while a booster every 6-12 months remains recommended for people at high risk. These are the two main recommendations that came out of the last meeting of the World Health Organization technical group dedicated to vaccines (Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization – SAGE). The recommendations, valid for this specific phase of the pandemic, divide the population into three priority classes. For the high priority group, which includes the elderly, immunosuppressed or pathological people, pregnant women, healthcare workers, a booster is recommended 6-12 months after the last dose. The medium priority group includes healthy adults and children and adolescents with comorbidities: the primary vaccination series and the third dose are recommended, but not the additional routine booster doses. Finally, the low priority group, namely healthy children and adolescents. WHO does not provide a generalized recommendation for vaccination and suggests basing the choice on contextual factors. “Countries should consider their specific context when deciding whether to continue vaccinating low-risk groups, such as healthy children and adolescents, without compromising routine vaccines that are crucial to the health and well-being of this age group,” he said Hanna Nohynek, head of SAGE. The recommendations also contain an indication for pregnant women, who are advised to boost if more than six months have passed since the last dose: vaccination “protects both them and the fetus”, writes the WHO.
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