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Covid vaccine set to be offered to 16 and 17-year-olds - BBC News
Aug 04, 2021 1 min, 40 secs

Whitehall sources say ministers in England are expected to accept the advice of the JCVI, following an announcement on Wednesday.

It comes after Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday she was "hoping" to receive updated advice from the JCVI on the vaccination of 16 and 17-year-olds.

Ms Sturgeon said the UK's four chief medical officers had written to the JCVI, asking them to look again at vaccination advice for young people.

Meanwhile, new research suggested children who became ill with coronavirus mostly recovered within less than a week.

Last month, the JCVI extended its recommendation on Covid jabs to children aged over 12 who are at higher risk of getting ill and to those on the verge of turning 18.

Speaking ahead of the July decision, England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said the JCVI was confident vaccines would protect children to a high degree.

With the highest rates of infection seen in young people under 24, he said "anything we can do to reduce transmission in that group would be helpful".

But school leaders' union NAHT said the policy of vaccinating children should be led by clinicians and that schools should not play a part in promoting or enforcing vaccinations.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said ministers should "ensure plans are in place to roll out this vital next stage of vaccination while ensuring parents have all the facts and information they need".

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it kept the vaccination of children and young people "under review and will be guided by the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation".

All over-18s have now been offered a vaccination against coronavirus.

The latest government data shows 88.7% of adults in the UK have now had one dose of vaccine, while 73% have had two jabs.

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