London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 11, 2025

Which children are being vaccinated and why?

Which children are being vaccinated and why?

Hundreds of thousands of children at higher risk from coronavirus infection are to be offered a Covid vaccine in the UK.

However, the vast majority of children will not be immunised.

Which children will be offered the vaccine?


The evidence on the harms and benefits of vaccination has been reviewed by the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

It has recommended vaccinating children aged 12-15 if they are at higher risk of Covid due to:

*  Severe neurodisability (which could include conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism or epilepsy)

*  Down's syndrome

*  A severely weakened immune system, including some children with cancer

*  Profound and multiple learning difficulties

Those at higher risk who are already aged 16 or 17 can be vaccinated under existing rules.

The JCVI has also recommended immunising 12-17 year olds who live with people who have a suppressed immune system, as a form of indirect protection.

What about those who are nearly 18?


Young people who are within three months of turning 18 will also be offered the jab.

Born in the summer, they would be the youngest in their classes. The aim would be to get them protected before going to university or starting work.

Which vaccine will they get?


It will be the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

This is the only vaccine that has been approved for use in children in the UK. The medicines and safety regulator has given a license for the vaccine to be used in the over 12s.

Nurse prepares a Pfizer vaccine dose

Is the Covid vaccine safe for children?


No medicine is completely safe and all are a balance of risk and benefit.

But the Pfizer jab wouldn't have been approved for UK use if it wasn't considered safe.

The vaccine has been linked to incredibly rare cases of inflammation of the heart muscle (myocaritis) and of the sac the heart beats inside (pericarditis). This was found to be more common in younger men and after a second dose.

But the European Medicines Agency - which approves vaccines for the European Union - says there have been one-to-two cases per million people given the vaccine. Nearly everyone made a full recovery.

What are other countries doing?


Many countries have already decided to vaccinate children over the age of 12 - including Canada and Brazil.

The EU approved the Pfizer vaccine for over-12s in May - after a study found a similar immune response in 12- to 15-year-olds as for 16- to 25-year-olds. Children were also found to experience the same common side effects, such as headaches.

*  In the EU - France, the Netherlands and Italy have begun jabbing children

*  Germany decided to start giving the Pfizer jab to over 12s but only if they have pre-existing medical conditions

*  The US is recommending that all over-12s be vaccinated, citing a rare but serious illness (Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome) that can occur after being infected by Covid

*  The US is also reported to be planning to roll out vaccines to children as young as four during the coming winter

*  The Hong Kong government rolled out the Pfizer vaccine to over-12s, partly to allow them to "return to normal campus and daily life as soon as possible"

Both Pfizer and Moderna are conducting trials of their vaccines on children as young as six months old.

Will all UK children be offered the vaccine?


No, or at least not yet.

The government's vaccine advisors say the benefits of being vaccinated are very small in healthy children. This is because so few children become seriously ill or die from Covid.

The JCVI also says the benefit to adults from vaccinating children (to limit the spread of Covid) is unclear as so many vulnerable people have been immunised already. It also says there is no clear evidence that vaccinating children will prevent youngsters from getting long-Covid.

However, the JCVI is waiting for more safety and effectiveness data to see if more children should be offered jabs.

There is no vaccine currently approved for use in the under 12s in the UK.

Young person vaccinated in north London
How many children have died from Covid?


Almost all children and young people are at very low risk from Covid-19.

Data for England suggests about 25 children died from Covid in the first 12 months of the pandemic.

The majority of them also had severe health problems, including complex neurodisabilities.

Only six had no recorded health conditions.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
×