At-risk and vulnerable 5-11 year olds can now get the Covid vaccine

New advice has been given for parents of children aged 5 to 11 who are in a clinical risk group around the Covid-19 vaccine.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that 5 to 11-year-olds who are either in a clinical risk group or are a household contact of someone of any age who is immunosuppressed should be offered two 10 micrograms doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with a minimum interval of eight weeks.

GPs and hospital specialists will be responsible for identifying children in their care who are eligible.

For children eligible as a household contact, the person who is immunosuppressed will be written to directly.

In both cases, parents or guardians will need to give consent for their child to be vaccinated and will be told how they can book an appointment.

Information on eligibility can be found in the Green Book, chapter 14a, which is published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The information is in the section on children aged 5-11 years and tables 3 and 4.

The NHS will be in touch with you in the coming weeks if your child is eligible, so please wait to hear and do not contact your GP.

It is expected that most children will get vaccinated at a site run by local GPs, a hospital or a specialist children’s centre. In cases where this isn’t possible, local arrangements will be in place with community pharmacies, vaccination hubs, housebound teams and in some cases at special schools.

Please be aware that parents will not be able to book their child’s vaccination appointment by calling 119 or using the national booking system – please wait to be contacted by the NHS.

Professor Dominic Harrison, Director of Public Health and Wellbeing for Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

We welcome the recent progress made to offer vaccinations to the most vulnerable 5-11 year olds. A number of other countries are well ahead in vaccinating this age cohort as a whole – both clinically vulnerable and not.

The 5-11 year old cohort has been particularly susceptible to high and rising rates of Omicron – even as rates in adults have been falling in recent weeks. Whilst the start of this vaccination programme will offer great benefits over time for the most vulnerable primary school aged children, it is important that we also move ahead now to vaccinate all 5-11 year olds as soon as possible.”