Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason children who turned five before 1 September 2022 remain eligible for a primary course covid-19 vaccination, in the context of the risk of severe covid-19 symptoms in this age group.

The Government continues to be guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) on who should be offered COVID-19 vaccinations.

The primary aim of the universal primary vaccination offers to children aged five to 11 years old, was to increase the immunity of vaccinated individuals against severe COVID-19 in advance of a potential future wave during the pandemic. When formulating advice in relation to childhood immunisations, JCVI has consistently maintained that the focus should be on the potential benefits and harms of vaccination to children and young people themselves, with prevention of severe COVID-19 (hospitalisations and deaths) in children and young people the primary aim.

As we transition away from a pandemic emergency response towards pandemic recovery, the JCVI advised on 25 January 2023, that the offer of a primary (initial) course of COVID-19 vaccination should be removed from those aged five to 49 years old who are not in an at-risk group. This will move to a more targeted offer during seasonal campaign periods to those at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 or of transmitting the virus to those vulnerable to serious outcomes. The JCVI advice to target the initial vaccination offer to those at higher risk only is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-programme-for-2023-jcvi-interim-advice-8-november-2022/jcvi-statement-on-the-covid-19-vaccination-programme-for-2023-8-november-2022

The Government is considering when during 2023 this recommendation should be implemented, and an announcement will be made in due course.