Sydney’s coronavirus outbreak hits city’s young

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant has revealed the reason so many young people have been impacted by Sydney’s coronavirus outbreak.

Children younger than 12 could become eligible for coronavirus vaccinations next year, NSW’s top doctor has said.

“I would anticipate 12 to 15-year-old’s would go quite quickly, and the younger children to have access to vaccines in the new year,” NSW’s Chief health officer Kerry Chant told a parliamentary hearing on Monday.

The federal Health Minister has previously said he expected a decision on vaccines from the immunisation authority ATAGI for people aged between 12 and 15 this week.

Dr Chant’s comments came as NSW recorded another 818 local coronavirus cases in an outbreak that has disproportionately affected the young.

About 70 per cent of NSW’s coronavirus cases are people aged under 40, Dr Chant said.

Dr Chant said the areas in Sydney worst hit by the outbreak had a “younger age profile”, which contributed to so many young people being affected.

Those areas also had larger household sizes than the rest of the city and more often had multiple generation of the same family living under one roof, she told a parliamentary hearing on Monday.

“Clearly the picture with Delta is that once it’s introduced to a household, it’s inevitable that everyone gets the Delta strain,” Dr Chant said.

About 70 per cent of NSW’s coronavirus cases are people aged under 40, the state’s chief health officer Kerry Chant says. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Unlike previous strains of the virus, the Delta variant tends to spread easily among children.

Most transmissions to children have occurred in households, with some outbreaks at childcare centres, Dr Chant said.

Outdoor playgrounds have not been linked to any significant outbreaks, but Dr Chant said parents who take their children there should take care not to interact with others and to limit their children’s interaction with other kids if possible.

Dr Chant said her health team would look at international studies being conducted into the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines in children younger than nine.

However, there are no coronavirus vaccines currently licenced for use in children that young in Australia.

People aged between 16 and 39 will be able to access Pfizer vaccines from August 30.

There are some in that age group who are already eligible, including people with high risk jobs.

The NSW Premier said at her 11am press conference that she would like children to be able to get vaccinated as soon as it’s deemed safe.

“I look forward to advice as to when we will vaccinate their age group, and we want to make sure that all cohorts of people who may get the virus or spread the virus are protected,” Gladys Berejiklian said.

“But, it is important to note that it is still adults giving it to children, that is the main way they are receiving the disease. It is important for us to minimise any risk when they go back to school.”

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he envisioned schools would be major vaccination hubs for children in the future.

“I would think it should go out eventually through school,” he said.

Dr Chant added: “Clearly, we do know that school-based vaccination does yield very high rates of coverage, you know, on average we get somewhere in the order of 70 to 80% vaccine uptake in school settings.”