Clinically vulnerable infants to get Covid vaccine

2 mins read

Thursday 13 April 2023

Tags: Covid-19, vaccine, Vulnerable children

Clinically at-risk children aged six months to four years old can will soon be able to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

Eligible children include those with underlying medical conditions and those defined as clinically at-risk in the Green Book p22 [PDF]). Eligible infants and young children will receive two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, eight to 12 weeks apart.

The NHS has confirmed that it will start vaccinating this group of children from mid-June. Parents are best waiting to for the NHS to get in touch about making an appointment.

The Government extended the vaccine programme after receiving new advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Studies show that infants and young children with underlying medical conditions who get Covid-19 are over seven times more likely to be admitted to intensive care.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said Covid-19 was still circulating, with thousands of new cases every week. 

” The extra protection offered by the vaccine could be important for young children in clinical risk groups, who are at greater risk of severe illness. The virus is not going away. I would encourage all parents to bring their child forward if they are eligible. Parents should wait to be contacted by their local health profession.”

Until now, children aged six months to four years old were excluded from the vaccine programme. Healthy children in this age group will not be eligible.

Visit our webpage on the Covid-19 vaccination to see the full eligibility rules, including for vaccine boosters.