Get the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox so you never miss a thing An increasing number of 16 and 17-year-olds becoming 'seriously ill' with coronavirus led to the extension of the vaccine rollout to that age group, a member of the committee advising on jabs said.
Professor Adam Finn, who sits on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and is a professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol, said there had been 'a couple' of 17-year-olds in the area with Covid who needed intensive care in hospital in recent weeks.
He said while most young people will only have the virus in a mild form, the vaccines will be effective at preventing serious cases.