Kids from 5-11 years old in line for vaccine as vulnerable set for second booster

Borders children aged five to 11 are being offered a paediatric dose of the Covid-19 vaccination, with appointment letters being sent to parents of 11-year-olds this week.
Children aged 5-11 are set to be offered a paediatric dose of Covid-19 vaccine by NHS Borders.Children aged 5-11 are set to be offered a paediatric dose of Covid-19 vaccine by NHS Borders.
Children aged 5-11 are set to be offered a paediatric dose of Covid-19 vaccine by NHS Borders.

Children in this age group will be vaccinated with a third of the size of an adult dose in community clinics from March 19, following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending the universal vaccination of five to 11-year-olds.

Appointments are being scheduled according to age, with 11-year-olds invited first, followed by those aged eight to 10 and then those between five and seven years old. Where there are siblings, efforts are being made to invite them to back-to-back appointments to avoid multiple trips for families.

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Those who have specific medical conditions, such as if they are immunosuppressed, which place them at greater risk from Covid-19, will continue to be prioritised.

Nicola Macdonald, clinical service manager – vaccination at NHS Borders, said: “We continue to prioritise those five to 11-year-olds who are at risk, or who live with someone who is severely immunosuppressed.

"The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks for children in this cohort and we urge parents and carers to read all the information available to them on NHS Inform when making their decision.

“All other five to 11-year-olds will receive their appointment letters in due course, with older children invited first and families invited together wherever possible.”

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The local health board will also soon begin inviting those aged 75 and over and those at highest risk of severe Covid-19 disease forward for their second booster vaccination. The appointments will come in a blue envelope.

These people will be invited as they become eligible from at least 24 weeks after their last booster, with the first groups receiving appointments from March 31.

The vaccination teams will begin vaccinating residents in care homes for older adults from March 16.

This follows recent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

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Nicola Macdonald added: “We know that these high priority groups are at greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19, and following further advice from the JCVI, we are now offering a second booster dose of the vaccine to these people.

“Vaccination has been our most effective tool against coronavirus, and getting fully vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, especially if you are at greater risk from the virus. I continue to encourage everyone to receive the doses they are eligible for as and when they are called forward.”