When will my child be offered the vaccine?

Children will be offered the vaccine in the coming weeks

Children aged 12 to 15 in Oldham will be offered Covid vaccinations over 'the coming weeks', after the Government confirmed school-age children are eligible to be inoculated.Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid announced the plans earlier this month following advice from the four UK Chief Medical Officers

Children will be offered one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Mike Barker, Accountable Officer at NHS Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group said: “The schools COVID-19 vaccination programme is being led by the School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS). Every child aged between 12 and 15 will have the choice to be vaccinated and the programme will begin within schools across Oldham in the coming weeks.

“Letters will be sent before the COVID-19 vaccination programme commences in each school to seek parental consent, which will need to be provided by a parent, guardian or carer before the jab can be administered.

“Healthy children aged between 12 and 15 will be offered one dose of the COVID vaccine. The UK's chief medical officers have said that the vaccine will help reduce disruption to education.

“The roll-out of the vaccination programme for 16-year-olds and above has been a success. More than 155,500 people in Oldham have had at least one dose of the vaccine. In Oldham the highest rate of COVID-19 is in our school age children and vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds is the best way to protect them, their family and friends and wider community.”

Healthy school-aged children aged 12 to 15 will primarily receive their COVID-19 vaccination in their school with alternative provision for those who are home schooled, in secure services or specialist mental health settings.

Over four in five adults across the UK have received both COVID-19 vaccine doses, with over half of all 16 and 17 year olds coming forward for their first jab.

As of 14 September, 76.3% (154,085) of Oldham’s registered population aged 16 or over have been vaccinated with their first dose, and 69.0% (139,400) have been vaccinated with their second dose.

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.