Tool weighs vaccination benefits

The Immunisation Coalition COVID-19 Risk Calculator (CoRiCal) Coalition has been updated to enable parents to weigh up the risks and benefits of Covid vaccinations for children.

University of Queensland virologist Associate Professor Kirsty Short said the calculator was initially designed for adults based on their current circumstances and risks of getting Covid under different transmission scenarios.

‘This update allows parents to gather that same information and apply it to their children’s circumstances.’

Dr Short said one of the main challenges for parents and clinicians has been a lack of access to the latest evidence regarding vaccination risks versus benefits, or illness and deaths prevented, in children.

‘There is a lot of misinformation online about COVID-19 and vaccinations, so this calculator plays a critical role by providing tailored, evidence-based information in a convenient way,’ Dr Short said.

CoRiCal team member, Associate Professor John Litt from Flinders University, said promoting COVID vaccination in children was more important than ever, with current approaches yielding concerningly low uptake.

‘We’ve observed a very low vaccine uptake in children aged 5 to 11, with only a 10 per cent increase in the last six months,’ Dr Litt said.

‘It is therefore crucial decisions are informed by transparent risk-benefit analysis and effective risk communication, ensuring higher vaccine uptake in children.’

CoRiCal is a collaboration between the Immunisation Coalition, The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Sydney University and Flinders University.

The CoRiCal tool can be accessed here