Babies and young children in England to be offered Covid vaccination for first time

Children are seven times more likely to be admitted to intensive care if they have underlying health issues

A child receives a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. PA

Health authorities in England will offer the Covid-19 vaccination to babies aged over six months and children under five for the first time.

Clinically vulnerable children aged six months to four years should be offered the shot, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has said.

Although children are usually at a low risk of becoming severely ill from coronavirus, those who have underlying medical conditions are seven times more likely to be admitted to paediatric intensive care units.

Parents are being warned that the virus is not going away.

"For the vast majority of infants and children, Covid-19 causes only mild symptoms, or sometimes no symptoms," said Prof Wei Shen Lim, chairman of the JCVI’s Covid-19 committee.

“However, for a small group of children with pre-existing health conditions it can lead to more serious illness and, for them, vaccination is the best way to increase their protection.”

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Covid-19 is still in circulation, with thousands of new cases reported 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 so I would encourage all parents to bring their child forward if they are eligible.

"Parents should wait to be contacted by their local health professionals.”

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The authority said more than one million children aged six months to four years in America have received at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 shot since June 2022.

Data from the US showed the most common side-effects reported were similar to those with other vaccines in this age group, such as irritability or crying, sleepiness and fever.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the UK first authorised use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged six months to four years in December last year.

After that authorisation, the JCVI has advised that children in this age group who are in a clinical risk group should be offered the vaccine.

The committee does not advise vaccination of children aged six months to four years if they are not in a vulnerable group.

Eligible children should be offered two doses of the vaccine, with an interval of eight to 12 weeks.

The National Health Service England has confirmed it will begin offering vaccinations to those eligible in England from mid-June.