Children as young as five to start receiving Covid jabs

The Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group, which is co-ordinating the region's roll-out, has said that invitations will be sent out to families from Monday, January 31.

The roll-out will be done much in the same way as it was for adults, with clinically extremely vulnerable children prioritised for jabs first. The invitations will also go to youngsters living with people with weakened immune systems.

It is not yet clear whether the roll-out will then be extended to include youngsters without complex health needs.

Initially, an update posted on the CCG's website explained the children who would be prioritised, then added "healthy children aged 5-11" would be "also offered a vaccine by the spring".

However, this wording was later removed from the website.

Some experts remain sceptical about the benefits of vaccinating children from Covid.

Prof Paul Hunter of the UEA's Norwich medical school. (Image: Archant © 2013)

Paul Hunter, a virologist from the UEA's school of medicine, said: "I think by now most children under the age of 11 have had Covid already so have some natural immunity, so the evidence for the value of giving them vaccinations is borderline.

"Children are extraordinarily unlikely to die from Covid as well.

"However, the exception to this is those that are clinically extremely vulnerable so there is a very strong case to offer vaccines to them."

The extension of the roll-out to children as young as five, comes after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved a children's version of the Pfizer jab after tests found it to be safe to use and effective in fighting the virus.

The local vaccination campaign is currently focused on targeting 'vaccine-hesitant' adults in certain hotspots in the region.

Vaccine centres in Great Yarmouth, Norwich, King's Lynn and Thetford have increased their walk-in capacity, while staff are offering advice services to those who might be reluctant to take up the offer of a jab.

In the past month, more than 220,000 people have received booster doses in Norfolk and Waveney. It means that 83% of those eligible for boosters have now had one.