UK children aged 5 to 11 years to be soon included in COVID vaccine rollout: Report

A leaked National Health Service (NHS) proposal stated that children aged between 5 to 11 years in United Kingdom will soon be included in COVID vaccine rollout in coming months, reported Sun on Saturday. proposals are based on concerns that COVID-19 will continue to be a threat for at least next two years, and that vaccinating children would be required to help reduce infection rates. However, due to a potential backlash from parents, health officials have kept proposals under wraps so far, report claimed. 

vaccine would still need to be approved by UK authorities for children under age of 12, and Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation would have to agree to children as young as five being vaccinated. Meanwhile, NHS chiefs predict that a regular COVID booster programme will be required to safeguard vulnerable people under latest "planning scenario." "Top-secret plans explain what is at risk if we are to defeat COVID in a meaningful way. plan also includes seeking permission from parents to vaccinate children as young as five years old," a senior source was quoted as saying by outlet. 

He furr stated that plans may change as nothing is in public domain yet. However, scientists believe that inoculating young children is a good idea as y can also spre virus to vulnerable people despite fact that children are at a significantly lower risk of contracting COVID-19, he ded. It is significant to mention here that vaccination of children as young as five years old has alrey started in United States, and it is expected to start shortly in Cana and Israel too. 

UK currently offers COVID vaccines to children over 12 years of age

Currently, only those over age of 12 are offered vaccinations in United Kingdom. Meanwhile, Pfizer is seeking approval from European regulators to use its COVID-19 jab in children aged 5 to 11 years old. According to report, approval is expected soon, following which UK regulators will decide on its rollout. Meanwhile, Office for National Statistics data claims that majority of parents in UK would allow ir children to be vaccinated. " NHS constantly plans for how it would operationalise providing vaccines to more individuals so that it is rey to extend jab rapidly if and when Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommends it," a spokesperson for NHS was quoted as saying by Sun. 

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