Health experts are urging the Government to push ahead with plans to vaccinate all 12 to 15 year olds against Covid-19.
It comes after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) this week decided against backing the plan because the disease presents such a low risk to younger teenagers.
But Professor Chris Whitty and the UK's three other chief medical officers are reviewing the wider benefits of vaccinating the age group, such as minimising school absences, and are expected to present their findings within days.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said Sunday that if the chief medical officers recommend vaccination then it is 'absolutely' the right thing to do, but he said he does not want to 'pre-determine' that.
The Government is awaiting their advice before making a final decision but ministers and Health Secretary Sajid Javid are reportedly keen to authorise a wider rollout.
Speaking on Sky's Trevor Phillips on Sunday, Mr Zahawi said: 'We have not made any decisions, so we haven't decided not to listen to the experts.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi insisted Sunday that the Government has yet to make a decision on the child vaccine rollout
'On the contrary, all four ministers, the Secretary of State, Sajid Javid, and his fellow ministers in the devolved administrations have agreed to ask the chief medical officers to convene expert groups, including the JCVI being in that, to be able to recommend which way we should go on healthy 12 to 15-year-olds.'
He said parents of healthy 12 to 15-year-olds will be asked for consent if coronavirus jabs are approved for their children.
'I can give that assurance, absolutely,' he said.
It came as Professor Peter Openshaw, of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) which advises the Government, told BBC Breakfast he was 'a little surprised' at the JCVI's decision to not back the rollout among children.
'We do know the virus is circulating very widely amongst this age group, and that if we're going to be able to get the rates down and also prevent further surges of infection perhaps later in the winter, then this is the group that needs to become immune,' he said.
'And the best way to become immune is through vaccination, and there's never been as much information as this in the past.
'To think there hasn't been enough research is completely wrong.'
Professor Peter Openshaw (pictured), of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) which advises the Government, told BBC Breakfast he was 'a little surprised' at the JCVI's decision to not back the rollout among children
He added: 'To my mind, the public health benefit is very, very important, and we have to take the wider view that unless we do get infection rates down amongst this particular part of the population, it will be very, very hard to prevent further large recurrences (of Covid-19).
'I would say that teenagers are often amongst the most altruistic and the most generous people in society.
'They often think very deeply about these moral and ethical issues and they want to protect others as well.
'So I would think that a lot of teenagers, actually, if they see the evidence in the round, would prefer to be vaccinated.'
It comes as family campaign groups warned that some parents are planning on pulling their children from school during any proposed vaccination drive in a bid to stop them being 'peer-pressured' into getting the jab.
Campaign group UsForThem said there is a 'great concern' among families after it was suggested that children as young as 12 could decide for themselves whether or not to get the jab.
Molly Kingsley, co-founder of the parent campaign group UsForThem, warned some parents will simply pull their children from school.
She told the Telegraph: 'We have seen an incredible amount of concern among parents about the suggestion that parental consent for children as young as 12 may either be overridden or not needed if you are relying on Gillick competence.
Campaign group UsForThem said there is a 'great concern' among families after it was suggested that children as young as 12 could decide for themselves whether or not to get the jab (file photo)
Health Secretary Sajid Javid is reportedly planning on rolling out the vaccine to all 12 to 15 year olds, despite the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending the jab for higher risk children only
'We have heard a lot of parents saying that if it happens they will keep their children off school for the duration of any vaccination programme.
'Were vaccination of children to happen on school premises without fully respecting the need for parental consent it would really prejudice parents' trust in schools.'
It comes as guidance circulated to NHS trusts says most 12 to 15-year-olds should be deemed 'Gillick competent to provide [their] own consent' over jabs.
'Gillick competent' stems from a 1985 legal decision which ruled that a teenage girl could obtain contraception without her parents' involvement.
It suggests a parent's permission may not be needed to give a pupil the vaccine - although the vaccines minister insisted Sunday that it would be required.
While some parents
