Jörn Klein, from the University of South-Eastern Norway, says that children and adolescents should be injected with the covid-19 vaccine to reduce the risk of “long covid”. However, this recommendation contradicts the current advice from the Norwegian Public Health Agency, which only encourages people over 65 and those in risk groups to be vaccinated.
Dr Klein, Professor of Infectious Disease Control and Epidemiology, says that the incidence of covid-19 infections is reported to have increased during the summer, and that everyone should consider the need for a booster. He points out that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends covid-19 vaccination for everyone over the age of six months.
He also argues that young people in particular are at risk of contracting “long covid”, citing a study which found that 23% of children who were followed up three months after infection still showed signs of illness. Another study shows that the covid-19 vaccine is associated with a lower risk of “long covid” in people under 18.
– The vaccine may protect young people against long covid, Mr Klein told Norwegian state broadcaster NRK.
However, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) only recommends the covid vaccine and booster for people over 65 and those in high-risk groups.
– NIPH’s recommendations are not the final answer to the question of who should receive the booster vaccine. Young and healthy people should also consider taking the coronavirus vaccine. I think it is perfectly legitimate for them to want to protect themselves, says Klein.
In Norway, several respiratory infections are on the rise, and covid-19 and seasonal influenza are expected to increase in the coming months. Despite this, there are currently no plans to change the Norwegian vaccination recommendations.
– The mRNA vaccines can cause rare but more serious side effects, especially in younger people. We do not have a general recommendation to vaccinate all adults, says Are Stuwitz Berg, Deputy Director of Infection Control at NIPH.