AstraZeneca: Tony Blair discusses vaccine hesitancy

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Kids as young as 12 will be eligible for Covid jabs from September, according to a leaked “core planning” document seen by The Sun. The document suggests schoolchildren will be given one dose of the vaccine when they go back to class after summer.

A source told the newspaper: “Plans are in place to vaccinate children aged 12 upwards, and senior government officials have been briefed.

“Though controversial, it is deemed necessary to stop the UK regressing in its remarkable fight against Covid.”

Health Officials added that in the event of a “worst case scenario”, children as young as five may be given the jab from July.

The Department of Health made it clear that no decision has yet been made.

They added: “We will be guided by experts once clinical trials have concluded.”

Currently, Covid vaccines are only recommended for people aged 16 and older because the first safety trials didn’t include younger age groups.

AstraZeneca clinical trials for young children were halted earlier this month due to broad safety concerns arising from rare blood clots, despite no problems being recorded in the trials.

Younger kids have a much lower risk of falling seriously ill from the virus but they can still spread it to their parents and others who might not be inoculated.

Speaking in February, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Children very, very rarely get symptoms or serious illness from the disease – the value, the importance, of vaccinating children is to try to stop the spread of the disease.”

The NHS is also preparing to offer booster vaccination jabs against new variants to everyone over 50.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “As we’ve already said, we are preparing for a booster programme to take place from the autumn and we continue to plan for all scenarios.

“We have hit our target of offering vaccines to everyone in phase one of the programme and we are on track to offer a jab to all adults by the end of July.”

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The latest Government figures covering information up to April 23 indicate a total of over 37.6 million people have received the first dose of an approved jab.

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