On Monday 13 September, the Government accepted the advice of the four chief medical officers (CMOs) to offer a single dose of the covid vaccine to all healthy 12-15-year-olds.
The NHS is working with partners and school immunisation services to deliver this in secondary schools and letters will start to be sent to parents or guardians of children aged 12-15 with further details from next week. They will also be asked to provide consent for their child to receive the vaccination, either through an online or a paper form. Children do not need to be registered with a GP or have an NHS number to be vaccinated.
At this time, CMOs advise that 12-15 year olds should be offered a first dose only, which will be of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the only vaccine currently authorised in the UK for those aged 12-15.
The recommendation for those aged 12-15 at greater risk of serious COVID-19, or who are household contacts of severely immunosuppressed individuals, remains that they be offered two. These children will have already been contacted by their GP and will not be included in the school programme.
Those that have a specific immunosuppressive condition as set out in JCVI guidance should have three doses in their primary schedule. These will be arranged by their consultant or GP.
- For further information please see these information leaflets: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-resources-for-children-and-young-people
- Easy read versions: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-easy-read-resources-for-children-and-young-people
FAQs about the Leeds vaccination programme
When will we begin offering vaccines in schools?
This process will begin on 24 September 2021 and will run provisionally until after the October half term. To effectively manage citywide resource, the allocation of immunisation staff and vaccines will be done on a daily basis, depending on demand and capacity, so we’re unable to provide specific dates for when this may take place at your child’s school.
Will we go to every school in Leeds?
Yes, we will be working closely with all secondary schools in Leeds to provide the opportunity for young people to receive their vaccinations.
Who will be coming into the schools?
NHS staff from the Leeds Vaccination Programme.
Will consent be obtained from parents?
A consent letter with a link to an online consent form will be sent from the Leeds Covid Vaccination Programme to schools, which they then will be sending to parents via email and text. The team on the day will then be provided with information regarding those children who we have received consent to vaccinate.
Which children are being vaccinated?
All consented young people between the ages of 12 and 15 years old.
What if I don’t want my child vaccinated?
Please indicate this on the consent form you will be/have been sent by your child’s school. You can contact the Leeds Vaccination Centre via email at leedsschoolcovidvaccinations@nhs.net or call them on 0113 206 0593 for further information.
I’ve got the letter but I don’t have access to a computer/I cannot complete the form?
Please ring the Leeds Vaccination Centre on 0113 206 0593 and they can advise you how to provide verbal consent.
Who can I speak to if I have questions?
You can contact the Leeds Vaccination Centre via email at leedsschoolcovidvaccinations@nhs.net or call them on 0113 206 0593.