Vaccines recommended for younger children in the UK
A new formulation of the Pfizer BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has been approved for use in children aged five to 11 this afternoon.
Vulnerable primary school children should be offered a low-dose Covid vaccine, government vaccine advisers the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) have said.
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) made the approval following a robust review of safety data that shows a positive benefit-risk profile for this jab to be used in the age group.
The JCVI’s advice expands to children who are in household contact of someone (of any age) who is immunosuppressed.
Children are much less likely than adults to become seriously ill with Covid but extending vaccination to under 12s could help to curb the spread of infections, especially Omicron.
Schools and colleges are also a hotbed for the spread of the virus for children and teenagers.