PARENTS of 5 to 11 year olds in St Helens have been offered advice from public health leaders about the Covid-19 vaccination programme for children.

The vaccination programme is being rolled out for youngsters at two sites in the borough, giving parents the chance to book their child in for a first dose of the vaccine.

Health chiefs say it will help offer greater protection against Covid-19 for younger children in the borough.

Updated guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises UK health departments on immunisation, has recommended children can benefit from non-urgent offer of the vaccine.

NHS staff have already been vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 who have medical conditions that put them at increased risk from Covid-19 or who live with someone with a weakened immune system.

Where are the local sites and how to book?

Both sites, at the Saints Mass Vaccination Centre in St Helens and the Allied Pharmacy Vaccination site at Roundwood Drive, St Helens have been provided with special waiting areas for parents bringing younger children, with trained staff and activities available to occupy children as they wait to receive the vaccine.

Parents can book their first vaccination for their child by booking online at Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine for children aged 5 to 15 - NHS (www.nhs.uk) or Book or manage a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination - NHS (www.nhs.uk) Alternatively contact the national booking service on 119.

Public health chiefs in St Helens say Covid-19 infection rates continued to rise sharply up until the final week of formal testing in the borough (up to April 1), when 1274 new  cases were confirmed. That left the infection rate at 705 cases per 100,000 people.

Among those were 152 new cases confirmed amongst children aged 0 -17 years.

 

What does the vaccination programme involve?

With the new vaccination programme, children aged 5-11 with no other underlying health conditions will be offered two paediatric (child) doses of the vaccine, with at least 12 weeks between doses.

A paediatric dose is smaller than doses given to those aged 12 and over.

Any 5-11 year-olds who have health issues and are therefore more at risk from the virus can get two paediatric (child) doses, eight weeks apart.

GP or hospital specialist should be in touch to help arrange this.

 

What health leaders are saying

Ruth du Plessis, director of Public Health at St Helens Council, said: “The Covid-19 Vaccination programme has been a great success across the borough and has given invaluable protection to so many residents against either catching the virus, becoming seriously ill or passing it on to others.

“Now that we have the opportunity to introduce to give the vaccine to 5-11 year olds in the borough we would encourage parents to come forward and take the chance to have their child vaccinated,

“Although for very young children Covid-19 children may show itself as a relatively mild illness it can still make them unwell and allow them to pass the virus onto other children very easily. For children who have existing health conditions it is particularly important that they do have the vaccination if they can as it can help prevent them potentially  becoming more seriously ill with the virus.”

Some walk-in vaccination appointments for 5-11 year olds may be available on certain days at the Saints and Allied vaccination centres. For further details on this please visit St Helens CCG website here : St Helens Clinical Commisioning Group - Covid-19 vaccine walk-in sessions (sthelensccg.nhs.uk) 

All children attending appointments must be accompanied by an adult at all times.