Families celebrate approval of Covid-19 vaccine for vulnerable five- to 11-year-olds
Fiona Simpson
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Campaigners and families of clinically vulnerable children have described the approval of a Covid-19 vaccine for high-risk over-fives as “nothing short of a Christmas miracle”.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has approved the use of a lower dose of the Pfizer vaccine for clinically vulnerable children aged between five and 11.
Around 300,000 children deemed to be at clinical risk from the virus or living with someone who is immunosuppressed should be offered two 10mg doses of the vaccine - a third of the amount given to adults - eight weeks apart.
The JCVI’s decision came after the UK’s medicine watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for them.
However, unlike vaccinations for children aged 12 and above, those offered a lower dose of the vaccine and are likely to need parental consent.
Further advice regarding vaccination for other 5- to 11-year-olds will be issued “in due course” following consideration of additional data relevant to this age group and on the Omicron variant more broadly, ministers have said.
Charity Contact, which supports families of disabled children, has thanked those who signed a petition calling for a vaccine for vulnerable over-fives.
A statement from the charity said: “After 22 months of endless shielding and isolation, parent carers are breathing a huge sigh of relief over yesterday's news that their vulnerable children aged five to 11 can finally get the Covid vaccine. For them, this is nothing short of a Christmas miracle.”
Families took to social media to celebrate the news, with one parent saying: “I cried hysterical tears of joy when I read this. Our lives have been a living hell for almost two years.
“My children should not have to even consider their mortality or fate every single day,” one parent said.
Another added: “I can’t stop crying. These last two years have been so hard on us all. I’m actually pinching myself here. What a monumental decision. A complete game-changer for my two youngest boys.”
“Thank you so much to you all at Contact for fighting for this. Felt like you were the only one who heard us. Our nightmare might finally come to an end,” a third parent said.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has cautiously welcomed the announcement but said it is “disappointing” that a specific paediatric formula of the vaccine has not been made available.
Dr Camilla Kingdon, president of the RCPCH said: “Rolling this out to the 5-11 year age group will provide a variety of operational challenges for the Covid vaccination programme which will need to be fully considered.
“Their parents or carers will need to provide consent and this age group can be practically more challenging to immunise than teenagers.
“As paediatricians, children are always at the centre of our care. It is therefore disappointing that the paediatric formulation of the vaccination is not yet available. Nevertheless, we want to reassure parents, carers and the public that using a smaller dose of adult vaccine, or medicine, for children off-licence in the way described by the JCVI is not unusual. This is done by a qualified practitioner as they will have the right training and safeguards in place.”
