Covid-19 vaccination information
The NHS is offering Covid-19 vaccinations to children and young people. If a young person has tested positive for COVID-19, they will need to wait at least 12 weeks before getting vaccinated.
Covid-19 vaccinations for 5 to 11-year-olds.
Parents of all children aged 5 to 11 years have been offered the chance to have their child vaccinated from April 2022. The COVID-19 vaccination offered to this age group will be Pfizer (also known as Comiranty), each vaccine is a third of the dose of vaccine that is given to older children and adults.
Your child will be given two vaccines by injection, 12 weeks apart. The vaccine will not be offered in schools, so you’ll need to take your child to a vaccination centre or pharmacy. Some GP surgeries will also offer the 5-11 vaccine.
You can book the vaccine here.
Vaccination is important for children who have health conditions that put them at high risk from COVID-19. 5 to 11-year-olds who are in a clinical risk group, or are a household contact of someone of any age who is immunosuppressed, will be offered two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, 8 weeks apart.
If you or your child are in one of these groups, you will be contacted by your GP surgery or hospital consultant about the 5-11 vaccine.
Up to date information about the 5-11 vaccines can be found here.
Click here or on the image below to read a guide for parents of children aged 5 to 11.
Covid-19 vaccinations for 12 to 15-year-olds
All young people between the ages of 12 and 15 will now be offered a Covid-19 vaccination. Currently the vaccination licensed for children and young people is the Pfizer vaccine. This is the one that all 12 – 15 year olds will be given.
Having the Covid-19 vaccination will help reduce the chance of your child suffering from, and spreading, the disease.
Click here to read the Covid-19 vaccination guidance for parents.
Your child might be offered the vaccination at school, in which case you may be given a consent form to sign giving permission for your child to have the vaccination.
If you’d prefer your child to be vaccinated outside of school, you can now book their vaccine appointment online here. Parents and guardians are advised to attend vaccination sites with their children if they want them to get jabbed outside of school hours as consent will be sought on the day.
A health professional will discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with your child at their appointment and will be able to answer any questions you may have.
You can find more information about the vaccination, including how the vaccine will protect your child, and common side effects, in the guide for children and young people below.
Take a look at this Q&A webinar about the secondary school coronavirus vaccination for 12-15 year olds, hosted by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust.
Covid-19 vaccinations for those aged 16 and over
You can book a coronavirus vaccine here. Anyone under the age of 40 will be offered either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
Learn more about common and rare side effects of the coronavirus vaccine here.
The NHS has set up a range of vaccination sites offering the COVID-19 vaccinations. You will be contacted directly by the NHS if you are eligible and they will invite you for an appointment by letter, text or email. You need to be registered with a GP surgery in England. You can register with a GP if you do not have one.
The vaccine is also safe for you to have if you’re over 16 and:
- you’re pregnant or think you might be
- you’re breastfeeding
- you’re trying for a baby or might get pregnant in the future
Read more about getting the vaccine during pregnancy, breastfeeding or when trying to conceive here.
Easy read information about the COVID-19 vaccination can be downloaded in English and other languages here.
Remember, you can also use Browsealoud’s accessibility features throughout our ‘Health for’ websites.
Video resources in British Sign Language
NHS Video: COVID-19 vaccination: What to expect after vaccination
NHS Video: Information about vaccines: For people with a learning disability and autistic people
The BBC has developed a number of videos in South Asian languages explaining about the COVID-19 vaccinations, which you can find here.
The Council for Mosques position on COVID-19 vaccines can be found here.
More information on the vaccination programme can be found on the government website.
