Coronavirus: UK announces it will offer vaccinations to children over age of 12
- The programme will be rolled out at schools, with the consent of parents or guardians, according to the health ministry
- Vaccinating children has become a thorny issue in Britain, despite other countries pushing ahead with jabs for youngsters
All children aged 12-15 will be offered Covid-19 vaccinations, Britain announced on Monday, following the advice of four top medical officers.
Britain has been one of the countries hardest hit by Covid-19, recording more than 134,000 deaths.
Despite a successful vaccination programme, case rates remain stubbornly high due to the emergence of the Delta variant, and officials are anxious about them rising further now that schools have returned after the summer break.
“I have accepted the recommendation from the Chief Medical Officers to expand vaccination to those aged 12 to 15, protecting young people from catching Covid-19, reducing transmission in schools and keeping pupils in the classroom,” Health Minister Sajid Javid said.
The programme will be rolled out at schools, with the consent of parents or guardians, according to the health ministry. It targets around three million children.