Big UK debate

Mass infection is not an option: we must do more to protect our young

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Implicit in this decision is the acceptance that infections will surge

broken the link between infection and mortality

On July 19, 2021, almost all restrictions are set to end.

We believe this decision is dangerous and premature.

Proportionate mitigations will be needed to avoid hundreds of thousands of new infections, until many more are vaccinated.

immunity will be achieved by vaccination for some people but by natural infection for others (predominantly the young).

infection can still cause substantial morbidity in both acute and long-term illness.

Five main concerns about unmitigated transmission

First, Disproportionately affect unvaccinated children and young people

17 million people with no protection against COVID-19

Exponential growth will probably continue until millions more people are infected

Leaving hundreds of thousands of people with long-term illness and disability

Risks creating a generation left with chronic health problems and disability

Second, transmission in schools will lead to educational disruption

Strict mitigations in schools and eventual vaccination of children

More important for clinically and socially vulnerable children

Third, emergence of vaccine-resistant variants

Spread of potentially more transmissible escape variants

Fourth, a significant impact on health services and exhausted health-care staff

Link between cases and hospital admissions has not been broken

Rising case numbers will inevitably lead to increased hospital admissions

Millions of people are waiting for medical procedures and routine care

Fifth, deprived communities are more exposed

Disproportionately affect the most vulnerable and marginalised

In light of these grave risks

Given that vaccination offers the prospect of quickly reaching the same goal of population immunity

we consider any strategy that tolerates high levels of infection to be both unethical and illogical

The UK Government must reconsider its current strategy and take urgent steps to protect the public, including children.

We believe the government is embarking on a dangerous and unethical experiment, and we call on it to pause plans to abandon mitigations on July 19, 2021.

Instead

Delay complete re-opening until everyone, including adolescents, have been offered vaccination and uptake is high

Mitigation measures, especially adequate ventilation

CO2 monitors and air filtration devices

Spacing in schools

With

Universal mask wearing in indoor spaces, even for those vaccinated

This will ensure that everyone is protected and make it much less likely that we will need further restrictions or lockdowns in the autumn.