Phase 2 of the in-school vaccination programme for 12 to 15 year olds began on Monday 10 January.*

Vaccines remain our best weapon against this virus. We have seen uptake increase nationally to 50.6%, however there is substantial variation between regions. Parents can book out-of-school vaccinations for their child, if aged 12 or over, through the NHS booking system.

The benefits of the vaccine are clear:

It is estimated that a 60% vaccine uptake among healthy 12 to 15 year olds will reduce confirmed cases of COVID-19 in this group in the period up to 31 March 2022 by 33%. This equates to a reduction of 110,000 school days absent in this age group due to confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Research shows that those who do become infected 3 weeks after receiving one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca vaccine are between 38% and 49% less likely to pass the virus on to their household contacts than those who are unvaccinated.

 

Please see the guidance on COVID-19 vaccination: resources for schools and parents for further information and resources on the vaccination programme.