MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. Further mutations of the novel coronavirus may damage children’s reproductive organs, as, during puberty, teenagers produce many receptors that attract the virus, Yevgeny Timakov, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and vaccinology, said during a press conference on Wednesday.

"After a child turns 12, their body starts to grow, puberty hits, and the number of receptors [helping the coronavirus enter the body] goes up several times in their reproductive organs, and there are three mechanisms of entering the body," he said.

Timakov also noted that there is no research data about the Delta coronavirus strain and the way it affects children so far, however, it is known that children are diagnosed with COVID-19 more frequently. He noted that there are many children diagnosed with COVID-19 currently, however, very few of them have severe symptoms. "We need to understand that the majority of children are immune to the coronavirus, they had an asymptomatic case, and they have this T-cell flexible immunity, <…> which is long-term and stable," he explained.

Speaking about the vaccination of children against COVID-19, the expert noted that it can be advised for certain groups of teenagers over 14 and children with chronic illnesses, as well as emotionally active children who refuse to wear masks. "If the vaccine is proven to be safe based on research by good clinics <…> I think these children can be vaccinated in the future based on the epidemiological situation," Timakov said.