Just three of the almost 4000 children aged under 12 infected with coronavirus in Australia this year have needed intensive care treatment, according to the Chief Medical Officer.

His comments came after Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, sparked fierce national debate by suggesting she would not open her state’s borders until young children were vaccinated.

Last week, children aged 12-15 years joined the vaccine rollout, but no regulator in Australia or abroad has approved coronavirus vaccinations for people younger than that.

CMO Professor Paul Kelly said immunising parents was the key to protecting young people who are less severely affected than adults.