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And 121 more people have died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.
Christina Pagel said the JCVI's decision was "out of step" with most other high-income countries Image caption: Christina Pagel said the JCVI's decision was "out of step" with most other high-income countries

The decision by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation not to recommend Covid vaccines for all 12 to 15-year-olds is "out of step" with the stance taken by most other high-income countries, a scientist says.

Christina Pagel, a professor of operational research at University College London, says the World Health Organization, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have all recommended vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds.

Pagel, a member of the Independent Sage group set up to scrutinise decisions made by the government on coronavirus, says a recent ONS report estimated one in 1,000 children have had long Covid for more than a year.

She also pointed to a study that found the risk of myocarditis - an inflammation of the heart - was greater in people who were infected with Covid versus those who had been vaccinated.

"It doesn't really make any sense to me that we're not trying to protect children from Covid."

The US has vaccinated more than 10 million 12-15-year-olds and France, Italy, Canada and Israel are among other countries vaccinating children.