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NHS bosses say eligible children must be offered vaccine no later than 23 August

NHS leaders have written to GPs and hospitals urging them to prepare to vaccinate children as young as 12 who are eligible for a Covid jab before returning to school in September, with the first inoculations to start next month.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that young people with underlying health conditions that put them at risk of serious illness from Covid should be offered a vaccine.

Signed by health officials including the national director for the Covid vaccine deployment programme, the letter dated 22 July calls on NHS trusts, hospitals, GP surgeries and public health bodies to prepare to administer jabs to under 18s by 23 August at the latest.

“Delivery plans must ensure children are offered a first dose vaccination before returning to school in September,” the letter from Sir Keith Willett, who heads the vaccine programme, Nikki Kanani, the medical director for primary care, and Eleanor Kelly, the chief executive of Southwark Council who is helping run the programme, said.

“It is expected that first dose vaccinations for eligible children aged 12-15 to be operational from w/c 23 August at the latest with invitations issued in advance.”

The JCVI has advised that children aged 12 to 15 with severe neurological conditions, Down’s syndrome, immunosuppression or multiple or severe learning disabilities should receive two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

This recommendation extends to 17-year-olds who are within three months of their 18th birthday, and children as young as 12 who live with an immunosuppressed individual.

Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children aged as young as 12 are expected to fall into these groups and will be offered a vaccine.

But the JCVI said that until more data becomes available, it would not advise routine vaccination of children under the age of 18.

A recent study found that some 5,830 children and young people have also been admitted to hospital since the beginning of the pandemic, and researchers estimate that children face an approximately one in 50,000 chance of being admitted to intensive care with the virus.

The UK’s position not to vaccinate children puts it at odds with many of its European neighbours, which have decided to vaccinate those as young as 12, including France.