England to offer Covid vaccine to children aged five to 11

Children aged from five years old are set to be a Covid vaccine in England, it has been announced.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said the offer was “non-urgent” but added that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) had advised that a coronavirus vaccine should be offered to those aged from five to 11 years old.

He added that the NHS would prepare to offer all children between those ages a vaccine during April.

read moreFrance introduces new vaccine pass expiry rule for UK travellers

Javid also stressed that it would be up to individual parents to decide if they wanted to take up the offer.

He said: “I have accepted the advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) to make a non-urgent offer of COVID-19 vaccines to all children aged five to 11 in England.

“The NHS is already offering vaccines to at-risk children and those who live with immunosuppressed people in this age group.

“The JCVI advice follows a thorough review by our independent medicines regulator, the MHRA, which approved Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine as safe and effective for children aged five to 11.

“Children without underlying health conditions are at low risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and the priority remains for the NHS to offer vaccines and boosters to adults and vulnerable young people, as well as to catch-up with other childhood immunization programs.

“The NHS will prepare to extend this non-urgent offer to all children during April so parents can, if they want, take up the offer to increase protection against potential future waves of COVID-19 as we learn to live with this virus.”

Leaders in Scotland and Wales had already promised to implement the advice from the JCVI.

Plans are being put in place with health boards to deliver the vaccines.

The move does not affect children who are already being vaccinated due to medical conditions which place them at greater risk from the virus.

Leave a Comment