Oldham health cabinet member's plea to parents as 5-11-year-olds to receive Covid vaccine

The rollout of a low-dose Covid jab is expected to begin in April, with children being offered 10 microgram doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with an interval of at least 12 weeks between doses.

This is a third of the strength of an adult dose, as research has shown a lower dose for five to 11 year-olds is just as good as a full dose for those aged 16 to 25.

Almost 6m children in the UK will be offered the dose after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) issued new guidance.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the Pfizer vaccine for use in children aged five to 11 last year and it has been given to millions of children and teenagers worldwide.

The council's health and social care cabinet member Zahid Chauhan OBE, who is also a GP, is urging parents to let their children have the jabs to protect them.

He said: “Coronavirus continues to circulate across our borough and among all age groups so we welcome the latest guidance which will allow our younger residents to receive greater protection against the virus.

“We are currently supporting our colleagues in the NHS as they work through the detail of how the vaccinations will be rolled out to this age group and when we know more we will update residents as soon as we can.

“I would like to make an early plea to all parents though, and that is to allow your children to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

“This virus, as we know, can cause many complications in the long term with long Covid, and we have also seen how disruptive it can be to our children’s education through missing school.

“That is why we cannot take this risk with our children’s lives, so please let them come forward for their vaccinations when it is time.

“More widely, if anyone already eligible hasn’t yet come forward for their first, second or booster jabs, we still have a number of vaccination clinics across Oldham throughout the week, so please get your protection today.

“The virus is still with us, even as we begin to learn how to live with it, so do not ignore the threat it poses to your health.”

Cllr Zahid Chauhan, the council's cabinet member for health and social care

But on social media, most readers opposed the idea to offer youngsters the vaccine when asked the question.

One said: "No, leave kids alone. Only those vulnerable should have it."

But another added: "It should be offered, its then up to parents to decide based on their own circumstances and risk."

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams, a former public health consultant and Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health, welcomes the JCVI's decision to approve the Covid-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11.

She said: “Although the risks of children under 12 getting seriously ill with Covid is much less than for adults, those with underlying conditions can get quite poorly.

"Issues with long Covid in children are also not well understood.

“So I encourage parents to find out about the Covid vaccination for their children as well as other vaccination programmes such as MMR.

"We do need to learn to live with Covid and the vaccination programme is an essential part of this.

"Unfortunately, the government’s delayed decision has left almost half of 12–15 year olds unvaccinated after five months, affecting their education, putting the UK behind other countries in this regard.

"This delay has allowed the anti-vaxxers to spread their misinformation and propaganda that I hope will be clearly and decisively dealt with by the Online Safety Bill.

“Labour is calling for a targeted communications campaign to counter this dangerous vaccine misinformation.

"I would encourage any parents who feel unsure about the vaccine, and need more guidance, to contact their local GP who can answer any questions they may have.”

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams

Failsworth and Ashton MP Angela Rayner, who is Labour's deputy leader, added: “I welcome the JCVI's decision to approve the Covid-19 vaccine for all 5-11 year olds.

"Vaccine rollout is essential to helping us live well with Covid.

"The government’s current dither and delay, which has left almost half of 12–15 year olds unvaccinated after 5 months, is utterly unacceptable.

"Ministers must now ensure all children can access the jab to avoid further disruption to their education.

“Children have been treated as an afterthought throughout the pandemic.

"The Conservatives should now support Labour’s call for a targeted communications campaign and exclusion zones outside schools to prevent the spread of dangerous vaccine misinformation and boost vaccine uptake.”

Failsworth and Ashton MP Angela Rayner

Answering criticism at the end of November, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told The Guardian: “Our vaccination programme continues to be a phenomenal success and children can get vaccinated at school or use the national booking ystem – already over 40 per cent of 12- to 15-year-olds have been vaccinated.

“Vaccines save lives and we are doing everything we can to keep encouraging more people to come forward – our booster programme has made huge progress with over 15m doses administered so far across the UK.”