Posted: Wed 22nd Sep 2021

Parents and guardians of healthy 12-15 year olds to be contacted about their child receiving covid-19 jab

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area
This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Sep 22nd, 2021

Parents and guardians of healthy 12-15 year olds in North Wales will be contacted in the coming weeks about their child receiving the coronavirus vaccine.

It comes after the UK’s four chief medical officers (CMOs) found that “while the health benefits of offering the jab were less clear cut than for adults, reducing disruption to education was important to public health”.

The recommendation from Wales’ CMO, Dr Frank Atherton, to offer healthy 12-15 year olds in Wales one dose of Pfizer vaccine was accepted last week by Health Minister Eluned Morgan.

In North Wales the vaccine rollout for the age group will begin from October 4.

In the coming weeks, parents or guardians of healthy 12 to 15 year olds will be sent a letter in the post inviting their child to an appointment.

A parent or guardian will need to provide consent on behalf of the young person and accompany them when receiving their vaccination.

Gill Harris, executive director of nursing and midwifery, said: “The vaccine is being offered to this age group on the basis that it will help to reduce transmission and thus further disruption to education and recently restored freedoms, as well as offering a marginal health benefit.

“In the coming weeks, parents or guardians of healthy 12 to 15 year olds will be sent a letter in the post inviting their child to an appointment.

“It will not be possible to book an appointment using our online booking service.

“There is no need to contact the Health Board or your GP surgery, as we will contact you directly with an appointment invitation for your child.

“A parent or guardian will need to provide consent on behalf of the young person and accompany them when receiving their vaccination.

“At this stage we are not planning to vaccinate this age group in school based clinics, but we will keep this under review.

“Appropriate information is currently being collated by Public Health Wales to enable young people and their parents to make an informed choice about vaccination. Further details will be shared very soon.

“We will also be writing to the parents/guardians of children aged 12-15 to set out when and where their child can get vaccinated.”

The coronavirus booster programme is also underway in North Wales, with a St Asaph nurse being amongst the first in the UK to receive a third dose of the vaccine.

The JCVI recommends that the following individuals should be offered a third dose COVID-19 booster vaccine, if a minimum of six months have passed since their second dose:

  • Those living in residential care homes for older adults;
  • All adults aged 50 years or over;
  • Frontline health and social care workers;
  • All those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 (as set out in the Green Book), and
  • Adult carers; and
  • Adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals.

Ms Harris said: “As we have previously said, booster vaccinations will be a key part of further reducing incidences of COVID-19 and maximising protection in those who are most vulnerable to serious infection, ahead of the winter months.

“We have started to invite people for their booster vaccinations and we would ask those who are eligible to please be patient and remember that there is no need to contact us to book an appointment. They will be contacted directly when it is their turn.”



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