Are we seeing cause and effect in the rise in Covid cases? It certainly looks so if Scotland is anything to go by.

Pupils in Scotland returned to school in mid-August, quickly followed by a record number of cases daily Covid cases as the number surged above 6,000 for the first time.

A total of 6,835 new cases were reported on Friday last week – more than 1,800 above the previous highest figure. This was the third time in a week a new record had been set.

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said the sharp rise in the number of cases was a ‘cause for concern’ and that the country was at a ‘fragile and pivotal moment’ in the pandemic.

Ms Sturgeon urged people to get vaccinated, test themselves regularly and ‘tighten up again’ on following the current guidelines, encouraging people to meet outdoors, avoid crowds, keep a safe distance from others and minimise physical contact.

And it looks like the First Minister is prepared to admit that schools have played a significant role in the increase, saying: “It’s important to point out that case numbers are rising across the UK just now, but after a period of slower increases in Scotland the rise here is particularly sharp at the moment.

“That is possibly, at least in part, a reflection of the fact that our schools return earlier, with the increased interactions that come with that.”

So as schools in England return, can we expect to see a similar sharp increase in cases?

According to Sky News, the government’s scientific advisers fear that schools in England are also ‘highly likely’ to follow the trend seen in Scotland when they reopen. Scientists believe pupils are likely to ‘represent a high proportion’ of those potentially who may get infected by the end of September.

In a statement earlier in August, a group under SAGE, the government body that advises ministers on epidemiological issues, said: “it is highly likely that exponential increases will be seen in school-attending age groups after schools open”.

So is there a solution? It seems the government is looking to vaccinations as the answer.

NHS England has been told to prepare to administer Covid vaccinations to all children aged 12 and above, as vaccine advisers continue to consider whether to extend the programme, according to reports seen in The Guardian.

The planned extension to the vaccination programme would coincide with the start of the new school year

Children aged 12 to 15 in the UK are currently offered coronavirus vaccines only if they have certain health conditions or live with vulnerable people, but distribution of the vaccines has already been extended to that age group by countries such as the US, Germany and Israel.

The Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) has been considering whether to extend vaccine deployment to younger people in the UK, but one member recently admitted the panel was being ‘very cautious’.

But the decision whether or not to vaccinate the 12-and-overs is not without controversy.

The Daily Telegraph has reported it has seen NHS guidance suggesting that 12 to 15-year-olds should be considered competent to decide for themselves whether to have a vaccination, bypassing parents.

It added that health trusts were being asked to devise plans to begin the distribution of the vaccine in schools by September 6, with the goal of vaccinating 75 per cent of the country’s children by the start of November.

But Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said in an interview last week that parental consent will always be sought.

He added: “It would be reassuring for parents to have that choice as to whether children would be able to have that vaccine but it always has to be based upon parental consent.”

So the question I would ask is do you trust Gavin Williamson? I’m not sure I do. And there is already a precedent for treating children without parental consent.

The NHS website is quite clear regarding contraception for children saying: “Contraception services are free and confidential, including for people under 16 years old.

“This means the doctor or nurse won’t tell your parents or anyone else, as long as they believe you’re mature enough to understand the information and decisions involved.

“There are strict guidelines for healthcare professionals who work with people under 16.

“If they believe there’s a risk to your safety and welfare, they may decide to tell your parents.“The risk would need to be serious, and they’d usually discuss this with you first.”

So the principle of treating children without parental consent already exists. Will this be extended to Covid vaccinations, I wonder, despite what Mr Williamson says.