COVID-19 vaccinations for children and young people

If your child is aged 5-11 and is eligible for the vaccine, the NHS will be in touch with you at the end of January. You don’t need to book an appointment.

5-11 year olds

In line with the latest advice from the JCVI and the UK’s Chief Medical Officers, 5-11 year olds are now being offered the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine if they:

• are at higher risk from coronavirus due to underlying health conditions
• share living accommodation, on most days, with someone who has a weakened immune system.

5-11 year olds in these categories will be offered 2 doses of the coronavirus vaccine. The second dose will be offered from 8 weeks after their first dose.

You can find out more about vaccines for 5-11 year olds on the NHS Inform website.

12-17 year olds

All 12-17 year olds are also being offered the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

All children and young people in this age group will now receive two doses of the vaccine. 
They’ll receive the second dose 12 weeks after the first dose. (See 'When can my child get their second dose?' below.)

• From 20 September, 12-15 year olds can get the vaccine at drop-in centres across Scotland. Health Board vaccination clinics will be in a variety of locations, allowing parents and guardians to attend. Only some Health Boards will be offering vaccination as drop-ins so it's best to check first. You can find your nearest centre here. 
• From 27 September, all 12-15 year olds will be sent a letter inviting them to an appointment. You can go with them to the appointment.
• After scheduled community appointments, there will be a programme of vaccination in schools, to ensure that anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated, but decides that they want to be, gets a further chance.  
• Anyone aged 12 or over can also register for their first dose on the online self-registration portal. This is a convenient and immediate way to register for the coronavirus vaccine and receive vaccination appointment details.
• Those aged 12 and over who have not yet come forward may also attend open-access clinics, details of which can be found on the NHS Inform site.

Young people aged 16 and 17 should have already received an invitation letter to receive their first dose. Those who have not received an invitation letter can register on the online self-registration portal for their first vaccine. This is a convenient and immediate way to register for the coronavirus vaccine and receive vaccination appointment details.

Children and young people aged 12 to 17 years will be offered a second dose of the vaccine from 8 to 12 weeks after the first dose.

16-17 year olds

16 and 17 year olds can get their second dose by:

• booking an appointment online
• phoning the national vaccination helpline on 0800 030 8013 (open 8am to 8pm, 7 days per week)
• attending a drop-in clinic.
   

12-15 year olds

Children and young people aged 12 to 15 years are being sent second dose invitation letters for appointments beginning mid-January.

However, from Monday 3 January, they can attend drop-in clinics to get their second dose, as long as it’s been at least 12 weeks since their first dose appointment.

If your child has already received an appointment letter with a specific date and time, you can also call the national vaccination helpline on 0800 030 8013 to bring their appointment forward.

You can find out more at the NHS Inform website.

Additionally, the JCVI has recommended that the following children and young people should be offered a booster dose of Pfizer no sooner than 3 months after completion of their primary course:

• children and young people aged 16 to 17 years
• children and young people aged 12 to 15 who are in a clinical risk group or who are a household contact of someone who is immunosuppressed
• children and young people aged 12 to 15 years who are severely immunosuppressed and who have had a third primary dose.

Visit the NHS Inform website for more information about booster vaccinations.

If your child falls into any of these categories, you’ll either be sent a letter inviting your child to get the vaccine, or you’ll be contacted by their health professional. You may be asked to go to a vaccination centre, or your child may be able to get the vaccine at home or in their care setting, depending on their needs. You can find out more this and about rearranging your appointment if you need to on the NHS Inform website.

Although young people are less likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19, they can still catch it, and the more young people who catch it, the more school they and their fellow pupils miss, due to self-isolation. They can also pass the virus on to other people in their families and communities.

The recent JCVI advice focused only on public health benefits. Additional likely benefits from vaccination include reducing disruption to children’s education and consequent reduction in public health harm.

The UK CMOs looked at wider public health benefits and risks of universal vaccination in this age group to determine risks and benefits. Wider issues relevant to the public health of children and young people aged 12-15 years were also considered, including education, operational and mental health issues. 

It’s important that you and your child both know what’s involved with getting the vaccine. You and your child will be supported in your decisions, whether your child accepts or doesn’t accept the offer of vaccination.

Children should make a supported choice, that they and you, their parents or carers, feel comfortable with. Because of this, you can come to their appointment with them to talk about the benefits and risks of vaccination. Vaccinators and clinicians will be able to tell you more and answer your questions, to ensure that you both understand and agree to everything before the vaccination takes place. 

The recent increase in cases of COVID-19 means it’s still really important that everyone who’s offered a vaccination takes up the offer. So if you or your child are not sure, remember that by getting the vaccine, your child will be protecting not just themselves but their family and friends as well.

All medicines, including vaccines, are tested to make sure they’re safe and effective before they’re allowed to be used. Your child may have a few side effects from the vaccine, such as a fever, but these shouldn’t last long. If this happens, make sure they drink plenty of water so they don’t get dehydrated, and give them paracetamol if necessary. You can find out more about treating the side effects of the vaccine on the NHS Inform website.