Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will compensate schools for any costs incurred carrying out vaccinations for 12-15 year olds.

Like all school-based vaccination programmes, the COVID-19 vaccines will be administered by healthcare staff working closely with schools and following the usual approach to school-based immunisation.

Local School Aged Immunisation Services (SAIS) will work with schools to plan for the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations for 12 to 15 year olds. The SAIS will be the primary provider of the vaccination programme for healthy 12 to 15 year olds and will be legally responsible for the delivery of the vaccine.

Schools will have three primary roles, which will be familiar to them from other vaccination programmes. They are to provide information to their SAIS provider on which children on their roll are eligible for the vaccine, share the information leaflet, consent form and invitation letter supplied by the SAIS team with parents and children, and provide space within school, and time away from the timetable, to enable vaccinations to take place.

The department does not expect additional resource implications for schools.