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Health
Sam Volpe

Covid vaccines to be offered to children aged five to 11, confirms Sajid Javid

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed under-11s with no underlying health conditions will be offered Covid-19 jabs from April.

Explaining that he was acting on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), Mr Javid said the "non-urgent" offer would help to "increase protection against future waves of Covid-19 ".

Previously, those aged between five and 11 who are immunosuppressed, otherwise especially vulnerable to Covid-19 - or living with someone who is - have been offered a Covid-19 vaccine.

Go here for the latest NHS news and breaking North East public health news

The delivery of this began in Newcastle at a special Newcastle Racecourse clinic on February 9.

A specially-formulated paediatric version of the Pfizer jab is given to this age group.

The Health Secretary said: "I have accepted the advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to make a non-urgent offer of Covid-19 vaccines to all children aged five to 11 in England.

"The NHS is already offering vaccines to at-risk children and those who live with immunosuppressed people in this age group.

"The JCVI advice follows a thorough review by our independent medicines regulator, the MHRA, which approved Pfizer’s paediatric vaccine as safe and effective for children aged five to 11."

Mr Javid, who is currently on a trip around the country he has called his "Road to Recovery" tour, said this would help with the Government strategy of "learning to live" with Covid-19.

He added: "Children without underlying health conditions are at low risk of serious illness from Covid-19 and the priority remains for the NHS to offer vaccines and boosters to adults and vulnerable young people, as well as to catch-up with other childhood immunisation programmes.

"The NHS will prepare to extend this non-urgent offer to all children during April so parents can, if they want, take up the offer to increase protection against potential future waves of Covid-19 as we learn to live with this virus."

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