CHILDREN aged between five and 11 should have two doses of a covid vaccine, it has been recommended by the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
The JCVI have recommended that children in this age group should be given two 10mcg doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Paediatric Covid-19 vaccine with at least 12 weeks between the two doses.
Welsh Government minister for health and social services, Eluned Morgan, yesterday (February 15) announced that she accepted the JCVI’s advice.
Ms Morgan said: “Children this young must have the opportunity of being accompanied by a parent or guardian during vaccination and the absence of any age priority within the advice makes it easier for eligible siblings to be vaccinated at the same time.
“The JCVI advises this is a non-urgent offer with the aim of increasing this age group’s immunity in advance of any potential future waves of covid-19 and will enable children to benefit from as much time in school as possible.”
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The advice from the JCVI also says that the offer of this vaccination should not displace the delivery of other paediatric immunisation programmes – whether covid-related or not.
“Delivery of paediatric non-covid-19 immunisation programmes across all ages should receive due attention, particularly where vaccine coverage has fallen behind due to the covid-19 pandemic and where there is evidence of health inequalities. Once common illnesses are now rare in the UK because of immunisation,” said Ms Morgan.
She continued: “I would urge children, young people and their parents and carers to follow public health advice and ensure they are fully immunised to protect them from potentially serious diseases, such as measles and meningitis.”
Ms Morgan also highlighted that the advice is considered as a one-off pandemic response by the JCVI and that they will review whether in the longer term, an offer of vaccination to children continues to be advised.
She also said how the NHS in Wales has been planning for this for a number of weeks and work is in place to ensure the training and necessary immunisation and clinical guidance is in place and that the factual information on Public Health Wales’ website will be available for parents and children to make an informed decision.
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