Scotland Times

Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024

Covid vaccines offered to vulnerable five-to-11-year-olds in England

Covid vaccines offered to vulnerable five-to-11-year-olds in England

Young children between the ages of five and 11 considered most at risk of coronavirus will be offered Covid jabs from Monday in England.

The move comes after the UK drugs regulator approved a low-dose version of a Covid vaccine for children last month, deeming it safe and effective.

Eligible children include those with learning disabilities and long-term conditions, such as diabetes.

Cases in young children are rising, but for most, infections are not severe.

Some of those most at risk are more vulnerable to serious illness, and those living with vulnerable adults could pass the infection on.

In December 2021 the government's vaccine advisers, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, recommended around 500,000 young children at highest risk be given the jabs.

'Do not delay'


This includes children with serious underlying heart and lung conditions and those living with people with weakened immune systems.

A decision on vaccinating all other five-to-11-year-olds has not yet been made.

Deputy lead for the NHS vaccination programme, GP Dr Nikki Kanani, urged parents not to delay coming forward.

She said: "We know vaccines give significant protection against severe illness from Covid - including the Omicron variant - so it is important that our youngest and most at risk get protected."

Most jabs will be given by GP-led teams and in hospital hubs. Officials say parents and guardians should wait to be invited by the NHS.

Young children at risk will be offered two Pfizer vaccines eight weeks apart - at a third of the adult dose.

It is widely used in other countries - more than five million children have been given it in the US alone.

Covid vaccines are already being offered to young children at risk in Wales and Scotland. Public-health experts in Northern Ireland say GPs will be sending parents information about jabs by early February.

The NHS has already delivered more than three million vaccinations to people aged 12 to 17.

Separately, NHS England plans send out flu vaccine reminders to the parents and guardians of eligible children.

In England this includes all two-and-three-year-olds and all pupils from reception age to school leavers, to drive up protection from the virus.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Scotland Times
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Island Orkney council to look at proposals to become territory of Norway
Woman Awarded Over £100,000 After Being Fired for Transgender Tweet
A provocative study suggests: Left-Wing Extremism and its Unsettling Connection to Psychopathy and Narcissism
A Real woman
Brand new security footage has just been released to the public showing the Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to Covenant Church School in her Honda Fit this morning, parked, and shot her way into the building
China's foreign ministry branch in Hong Kong urges British gov't to stop the biased and double standards Hong Kong report
Double standards: UK lawmakers attack EU chief over Ireland claims
Democracy? Not for UK. UK PM rejects Scottish independence referendum, cancel democracy in BVI
UK urged to brace for economic storm
Women's own body dissatisfaction appears to influence their judgment of other women's body sizes
Prince William To Move Family Into Cottage Near Queen Elizabeth II
BOOOOOOS: Tony Blair receives royal honour
Captured Britons sentenced to death in Ukraine
Barbados PM Mia A. Mottley among Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People
Today's headlines
"Just One Of the Boys In School:" Years That Shaped Prince Charles
BVI Premier Rubbishes Claim Of Causing COI Delay
Comments on "Human Intelligence in a Digital Age" - A brilliant Speech by MI6 Chief Richard Moore, and the elephants neglected in the room
Bitcoin: BoE Deputy Gov wants to cancel democracy and protect the banks with regulations which infringe on people’s freedom, independence and benefits they get from their own money.
What are the Pandora Papers?
Taiwan-China relations at their 'worst in 40 years'
The attempt to hold Epik.com accountable for the content of its clients' websites is like blaming Gutenberg for the NYT's fake news that dragged the US into the pointless war against the nuclear weapons Iraq never had
×