County's vaccination service waiting on guidance for children's jabs

The county's vaccination service is waiting for guidance from the government over how Covid vaccinations will be provided for five to 11 year olds.

File photo dated 17/09/21 of a Covid-19 jab being prepared. More than a million people in England will be sent invitations this week to book their coronavirus booster jab. Those eligible for boosters include anyone aged 50 and over, people living and working in care homes for the elderly, and frontline health and social care workers. Issue date: Sunday September 19, 2021. PA Photo. Texts will be received from Monday, while letters will be sent to those who are eligible later in the week, NHS England said. Some 1.5 million people will be contacted and encouraged to use the National Booking Service. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Steve Parsons/PA Wire.

Earlier this week the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation updated its vaccination advice for children aged five to 11, and ministers said jabs would be offered to all those in the age bracket.

The reasoning behind the decision was given as increasing protection against potential future waves of Covid.

A statement from Shropshire Telford & Wrekin CCG said: "Although this age group is generally at very low risk of serious illness from the virus, a very small number of children who get infected do develop severe disease.

"Latest evidence suggests that offering the vaccine ahead of another potential wave will protect this very small number of children from serious illness and hospitalisation – and will also provide some short-term protection against mild infection across the age group."

In December, the JCVI recommended the vaccine be offered to 'at-risk' five to 11 year olds – the rollout of which officially began at the beginning of February.

In Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin vaccinations for five to 11-year-olds ‘at risk’ are being delivered initially by participating GP practices.

A spokesman for the CCG said: "Currently, this group will not be able to book through the national booking system or are unable to turn up at a walk-in vaccination centre. When invited, parents and guardians are asked to attend with their children to GP-led clinics.

"All eligible five to 11-year-olds will be offered two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine at least eight weeks apart – each vaccine is a third of the amount used for older children and adult vaccinations.

"The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England will advise on their plans for operationalising the latest JCVI recommendations for healthy five to 11 year olds in due course. In the meantime, parents are urged not to contact the NHS until further details have been set out."

More information can be found on the gov.uk website.