'At Risk' 5-11 Year Olds To Be Offered Covid Jab

Thursday, 23 December 2021 07:46

Jersey's government says it will be following the advice of UK medics and offering a reduced dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine to 5-11 year olds who are at risk.

A Public Health spokesperson says the MHRA, which approves vaccines for use in the UK, has carried out a 'robust review of the safety data' and found the benefits of offering the jab to vulnerable children outweigh the risk.

It has been recommended for under-11s who are clinically vulnerable, or living with someone immunosuppressed at the moment.

The vaccine approved for children only contains a third of the usual dose compared to the regular jab.

"Children aged 5 to 11 years in a clinical risk group or who are a household contact of someone who is immunosuppressed should be offered two 10 micrograms doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, with an interval of 8 weeks between the first and second doses." - JCVI

It is estimated 330,000 children across the UK will be eligible.

The JCVI has also recommended the booster vaccine be expanded to 16-17 year olds,;12-15 in a clinical at risk or group or who lives with someone who is immunosuppressed; and 12 to 15 year olds who are severely immunosuppressed and who have had a third primary dose

Details of how the roll-out will operate in Jersey will be announced in the coming days.