Covid vaccine: children younger than 12 could be given Covid jabs in 2022, leaked NHS report reveals

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

Children as young as five could be eligible for the Covid jab from spring 2022, which would align the UK’s vaccine policy with that of the USA

Leaked proposals have shown health officials are considering offering Covid jabs to young children spring 2022.

At present, coronavirus jabs are only available to kids aged 12 and over.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But in a few months time, this policy could change to include those aged between five and 11-years-old, according to the report seen by The Sun.

Should this happen, it would mark a significant change in Government policy, as jabs for under-12s were ruled out at the start of November.

Health officials said they regularly plan for how to roll out vaccines quickly according to the latest expert advice.

Covid vaccines could be given to children as young as five from spring 2022 (image: Getty Images)Covid vaccines could be given to children as young as five from spring 2022 (image: Getty Images)
Covid vaccines could be given to children as young as five from spring 2022 (image: Getty Images) | Getty Images

What have the main health bodies said?

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said certain standards have to be met before it can give the go ahead to Covid vaccinations for children under the age of 12.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A spokesperson told the PA news agency: “Extending the use of a Covid-19 vaccine to children aged five to 11 would only be authorised if the expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness are met.

“As with children aged 12 and above, parents can be fully assured that for any potential authorisation in this age group, the safety of the children would be our top priority.”

Those aged 12 and older can only receive one dose of the Covid vaccine at present (image: Getty Images)Those aged 12 and older can only receive one dose of the Covid vaccine at present (image: Getty Images)
Those aged 12 and older can only receive one dose of the Covid vaccine at present (image: Getty Images) | Getty Images

Should the MHRA allow Covid jabs for younger children, the Government would consider recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) before any rollout.

Asked about the leaked report, a spokesperson for NHS England said: “The NHS regularly plans for how it would operationalise opening vaccines to more people so it is ready to extend the jab quickly when and if any decision is recommended by the JCVI.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In The Sun’s news piece, an anonymous source said the plans could change, but added that asking parents for permission to vaccinate young children “is in the schedule”.

Do children under 12 get Covid vaccines in other countries?

At the start of November, US health officials allowed for the Pfizer vaccine to be given to five to 11-year-olds.

However, doses would be a third of the strength compared to the jabs given to teenagers and adults.

China has given vaccines to children aged between three and 17-years-old.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But most other countries have not yet followed suit and are only vaccinating children over the age of 12.

What are the current rules in the UK?

Kids aged 12 to 15 have been able to get one dose of the Covid-19 vaccination since September.

The JCVI has not yet advised on whether second jabs will be made available to healthy teenagers in this age group.

But in an update this week, experts advised that children aged 12 and over who have been infected with Covid should not be given a jab until 12 weeks later.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This advice had come in to reduce a “very, very small” risk of heart inflammation post-vaccination, experts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

Reporting by PA

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our email newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

Telling news your way
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice