Pediatrician questions value of child COVID-19 vaccinations after compensation payouts

A leading Danish pediatrician has reiterated his criticism of the 2021 decision to recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for children as young as five, following confirmation that nine minors who received the vaccine have since been awarded compensation for severe adverse effects.

Klaus Birkelund Johansen, a senior consultant at Aalborg University Hospital’s pediatric department, told DR that the cases underscore the need to prioritize the direct protection of the vaccinated individual over broader herd immunity goals.

“It wasn’t worth it,” Johansen said, noting he had warned in 2021 against rushing the decision without sufficient data on potential side effects in children.

Denmark’s health authorities had justified the recommendation in part as a measure to curb transmission to higher-risk groups, such as elderly relatives. But Johansen emphasized the importance of caution, stating, “It’s incredibly easy to be wise after the fact, but with the knowledge we have today, it highlights how carefully we must consider these decisions.”

Jens Lundgren, professor of infectious diseases at Rigshospitalet and the University of Copenhagen, defended the original decision. As a member of the expert group advising the government during the pandemic, he argued that the recommendation was sound given the information available at the time.

“Based on the situation then, I believe it was important to try to suppress the spread of infection in society as much as possible while also protecting the children,” Lundgren said. He added that vaccination not only benefited the broader population but also addressed a “rare but serious illness” that could develop in infected children.

According to figures from the Danish Patient Compensation Association, nine individuals under 18 at the time of vaccination have received compensation for vaccine-related injuries. These cases represent a small fraction of the more than 500,000 children aged 5–17 who received at least one dose in 2021–2022. A total of 78 claims were filed, with 67 rejected and one still pending.

Johansen acknowledged that the vaccines remain “good and safe” given the low incidence of severe adverse effects, while Lundgren stressed that parents of vaccinated children should not be alarmed by the compensation rulings.