The Hessian Ministry of Culture will decide later whether the rules on protection against corona infection can be relaxed for children and adolescents who will then be vaccinated after the summer holidays.

A ministry spokesman told the FAZ, when asked which hygiene rules the lessons would follow, required further experience.

The infection process until then, possible further general opening steps, the status of the vaccination campaign - these are all criteria that need to be taken into account.

This also applies to the mask requirement.

Helmut Schwan

Head of the regional section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

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    Another reason why the ministry does not want to commit itself at the moment is the possibility that mutants of the virus will spread in Hesse over the summer.

    The currently dominant British variant had spread particularly among children and adolescents.

    In the meantime, the first cases of the Indian variant, which is considered to be even more aggressive, have also occurred in Hesse.

    Make decision with parents

    As reported, the Chancellor and Prime Minister decided at the “vaccination summit” on Thursday to give 12 to 16-year-olds the opportunity to be immunized after the priority lists for family doctors had been lifted.

    You should make the decision yourself together with your parents, affirmed the ministry spokesman.

    After the conference with the Chancellor, Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) categorically ruled out compulsory vaccination in schools.

    He referred to the chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission and his statement, according to which neither school attendance nor a vacation trip for young people depended on whether they were vaccinated.

    The protection in schools from infections is mainly effective because of the regular tests, added Bouffier.

    It is currently unlikely that vaccination campaigns will be organized in schools in Hessen.

    That would contradict the idea of ​​carefully weighing the pros and cons with the respective doctor of trust, it said.

    From the point of view of the Frankfurt pediatrician Burkhard Voigt, the risk and benefit of vaccinating children and adolescents against the coronavirus must be carefully weighed.

    This could change depending on the case and situation.

    The risk of vaccination in children is low, but adolescents have "strong genetic activity".

    The long-term effects on them have not yet been researched well enough, the previous studies are too small.

    That is why Voigt, deputy chairman of the regional association of his profession, is in favor of advice and administration in practices and against vaccination campaigns in schools.

    In an interview with the FAZ on Friday, he pointed out that authorities “only checked the effectiveness, not the usefulness” for approval.

    On Friday afternoon, the EU Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the active ingredient from Biontech / Pfizer, as expected, for children and adolescents from the age of twelve.

    "If children are not at risk from the disease - and in the vast majority of cases they do not - then there is no reason to vaccinate them."

    Useful for chronic diseases

    However, this could be useful if they are chronically ill, says Voigt.

    For example, for a twelve-year-old who suffers from depression and does not want to see anyone anymore, this should be considered in order to enable him to participate more in life again.

    If young people want to be vaccinated out of “social responsibility”, “then I would at least discuss it with them,” said Voigt, who always wants to involve the parents.

    The pediatrician has high hopes for the recommendation of the Standing Vaccination Commission, he expects a “clear statement as possible” and an exact definition of which children are at risk and therefore should be vaccinated.

    Voigt points out that the need to vaccinate children and adolescents against measles is far greater.

    For measles, the R value, i.e. the number of those who would be infected on average by an infected person, is significantly higher than for Covid-19.

    Statistically, every thousandth infected child dies from measles, but hardly any from Covid-19.