Giving Children the COVID-19 Vaccine

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:14 pm on 9 June 2021.

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Photo of Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Labour 3:14, 9 June 2021

Thanks very much, Darren. You'll be aware that we haven't mandated the vaccine to anybody within this nation, and despite that, we've had an incredible uptake amongst the population as a whole. If we can, we certainly want to keep with that route with persuasion. I think that has been extremely successful, and we'd like to continue in that vein, and certainly, when it comes to children, I think that will be very important.

We are very keen, of course, to work with the education authorities, with the education unions about that conversation that is ongoing in terms of masks in schools, so that—. I know the education Minister has been in intense discussions and negotiations on that. Our ambition throughout this crisis has been to try and keep schools open, and we have to, of course, balance the issue of giving the vaccine to children with the need to keep schools open as well. So, that's another factor we need to consider when we are making the very difficult, I think, finely balanced judgment. And, of course, that's really what the JCVI will be considering as well.