Children aged 5 to 11 in England will be able to book their first coronavirus jab from today (April 2). Parents and carers can get vaccines from Monday via the NHS vaccines website, or by calling 119 from 7am with hundreds of sites offering the vaccine across England.
The NHS estimates that around 5 million children in England are eligible for the jab. Most of these new appointments will take place at local vaccination centers or community pharmacies outside of schools. There will also be walk-in clinics available, for which the NHS website will show times.
Children will be offered two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, to be given at least 12 weeks apart. The vaccines will be one-third the strength of those given to adults.
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NHS England says more appointments would be added throughout the week, so anyone unable to get a convenient slot should keep trying. Families will receive a vaccination card with the name of the vaccine, the batch number and the date of administration of the vaccine.
Children without underlying health conditions are recognized as being at low risk of serious Covid illness. The priority for the NHS is to offer spring vaccines and boosters to vulnerable adults and young people, as well as catch up with other childhood vaccination programmes. Two doses are available for children ages 5 to 15 to provide the best protection against COVID-19.
Why are children offered the COVID-19 vaccine?
COVID-19 is usually mild in most children, but it can make some children sick.
1 dose of the COVID-19 vaccine provides good protection against your child’s serious illness. But 2 doses provide stronger, longer-lasting protection against future variants of COVID-19.
Vaccinating children can reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection for your child and those around them.
When will children be offered the COVID-19 vaccine?
Children can receive a 1st dose of the vaccine from the age of 5 years.
Most children can receive a 2nd dose from 12 weeks after receiving their 1st dose.
If your child has an illness that means they are at high risk for COVID-19 or if they live with someone who has a weakened immune system, they can receive a 2nd dose starting 8 weeks after receiving their 1st dose.
If your child is 12-15 years old and at high risk for COVID-19, they may also receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if they received a 2nd dose at least 3 months ago.
If your child has COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19
If your child has a confirmed COVID-19 infection and is not at high risk for COVID-19, they must wait 12 weeks before they can receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
If they are high risk or live with someone with a weak immune system, they should wait 4 weeks.
This starts from the date their symptoms started or the date they test positive, whichever comes first.
If your child has symptoms of COVID-19 but has not been tested, they should wait until their symptoms improve before getting the COVID-19 vaccine. You can talk to a healthcare professional at the vaccination site.
How can children get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Parents will receive information offering them the possibility of making an appointment to have their child vaccinated.
Children aged 5 to 15 can:
Book their vaccination appointments online for an appointment at a vaccination center or pharmacy Wait to be contacted by a local NHS service such as their doctor’s office to arrange their appointments
Children 12 to 15 years old and some children 5 to 11 years old at high risk for COVID-19 can also go to a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site to get vaccinated without an appointment. Some children can still be offered a 1st and 2nd dose of the vaccine locally through their school until the end of April 2022.
You can book your child’s first dose online from the day they turn 5 years old. You can usually reserve his 2nd dose from 24 hours after receiving his 1st dose. Appointment dates will be offered to you from 12 weeks after their 1st dose.
Make a COVID-19 vaccination appointment
Get vaccinated at a walk-in vaccination site
Children 12 to 15 years old and some children 5 to 11 years old at high risk for COVID-19 can receive a 1st dose at a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site. They can receive a 2nd dose if it has been 12 weeks since their 1st dose, or 8 weeks if they are at high risk for COVID-19.
Find a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site
What COVID-19 vaccine will children receive?
Children will receive the Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine for both doses. You can read the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine patient information leaflet on GOV.UK.
What happens after vaccination
If your child has certain rare allergies or a history of anaphylaxis, they may be asked to stay for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine. This is in the unlikely event that they have a serious reaction to the vaccine.
If your child has any allergies or had a reaction after a previous dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, tell the staff at the vaccination center or pharmacy before they are vaccinated. Research has shown that it is very rare to have a serious allergic reaction to the vaccine. If this happens, it usually happens within minutes.
Staff at vaccination centres, pharmacies and schools are trained to deal with reactions and treat them immediately. Learn more about:
Side effects and safety
COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the UK have met strict standards for safety, quality and efficacy. They can cause side effects in children, but not everyone suffers from them.
Any side effects are usually mild and should only last 1-2 days, such as:
a sore arm from the injection feeling tired a headache feeling sore flu-like symptoms, including chills (chills)
More serious side effects, such as heart inflammation (myocarditis), are very rare.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine side effects and safety for children
COVID-19 vaccine ingredients
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine does not contain eggs or animal products.
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-02 14:39:11
