Vaccinations for all five to 11 year olds

Children aged five to 11 will be offered COVID-19 vaccination appointments in community clinics from 19 March 2022.

This follows the advice last week from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending the universal vaccination of five to 11 year olds.

Appointments will be scheduled according to age with 11 years olds invited first, followed by those aged eight to 10 and then those between five and seven years old. Where there are siblings efforts will be made to invite them to back-to-back appointments to avoid multiple trips for families.

Details of how to rearrange unsuitable appointments will be included in the letters.

Children in this age group who have specific medical conditions which place them at greater risk from COVID-19 are already being vaccinated and will continue to be prioritised.

Vaccinations for all five to 11 year olds will be delivered alongside second booster jabs for those aged 75 and over and those in specific at risk cohorts following yesterday’s recommendation from the JCVI. These individuals will be invited as they become eligible from 24 weeks after their last booster with the first groups receiving blue envelopes with appointments from the second week in March.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said:

“Throughout the pandemic it has been our intention that we follow the clinical and scientific evidence available to us and I’d like to once again thank the JCVI for their hard work in scrutinising the science and providing clear guidance.

“We continue to prioritise at risk five to 11 year olds. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks for children in this cohort and we urge parents and carers to read all the information available to them on NHS Inform before they make a decision.

“Appointments for first doses for all five to 11 year olds will be scheduled from 19 March with older children invited first and families invited together wherever possible. This will allow for second doses to be delivered before the start of the new school year provided at least eight weeks have passed since the initial dose.

“Of course, as we have done throughout the pandemic we will continue to prioritise the people most vulnerable to COVID-19 and boosters for those aged 75 and over and those at higher risk of severe illness will be scheduled for as soon as possible after 24 weeks have elapsed since their first booster.

“Scotland has one of the highest uptake rates for vaccination anywhere in the world and vaccination continues to be the cornerstone of our battle against COVID-19. The very high vaccination rates achieved so far have helped us considerably on our path back to normality and we urge everyone to take up their invitation when it is offered.”

BACKGROUND

Vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 years | The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine (nhsinform.scot)