As I understand it, precisely because they may then pass the infection on to those who may then end up with a severe illness (either because they're unvaccinated or because their protection is waning).
> As I understand it, precisely because they may then pass the infection on to those who may then end up with a severe illness
But we've already established that the vaccine doesn't prevent transmission. It may slightly attenuate transmission, but nowhere near enough to stop the spread. Given these facts, the vaccine is mainly so the vulnerable populations can protect themselves, but most children aren't among those populations (obviously immunocompromised children are).
I don't think I've seen anyone suggest that there is absolutely no impact on transmission. Teenagers were previously a population in which the virus could freely circulate where now there's at least some limited curtailment.
It wasn't my point, but others in this thread have also noted with sources that the level of impact on that younger population (and even small children), including long covid, also appears to be generally underestimated by the general population.
But we've already established that the vaccine doesn't prevent transmission. It may slightly attenuate transmission, but nowhere near enough to stop the spread. Given these facts, the vaccine is mainly so the vulnerable populations can protect themselves, but most children aren't among those populations (obviously immunocompromised children are).