Scottish children aged 12-17 from key groups to get vaccine before school return

1 min read

Monday 2 August 2021

Tags: covid, vaccination, health

The Scottish government has confirmed that children and young people with certain conditions will be offered the Pfizer vaccine before the majority of schools return on 16 August.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised on 15 July that children and young people aged 12-15 years old with severe neuro-disabilities, Down’s syndrome, underlying conditions resulting in immunosuppression, and those with profound and multiple learning disabilities, severe learning disabilities are considered at risk for serious Covid-19 disease and should be offered the Covid-19 vaccination.

The JCVI also recommended vaccinating young people aged 16 to 17 years of age who are at higher risk of serious illness from Covid-19.

The vaccine will now be offered to around 4,000 affected children and young people in Scotland. In addition, children and young people aged 12-17 who are household contacts of an immunosuppressed individual will receive the vaccine. This is to provide indirect protection to that individual.

NHS Scotland aims to vaccinate these children and young people throughout August. Families will be contacted by their local Health Board or by their regular healthcare professional, starting from Monday 2 August.