The U.K.’s health service will start to vaccinate children between the ages of five and 11 who are most at risk of Covid-19 from this week, Trend reports citing Bloomberg.
Children who are particularly vulnerable or who live with someone whose immune system is suppressed will be able to get their first dose, according to an NHS statement. Around 500,000 children will be eligible.
“We know vaccines give significant protection against severe illness from Covid -- including the omicron variant, so it is important that our youngest and most at-risk get protected,” said Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and deputy lead for the NHS vaccination program.
The U.K. became the first western country to approve a vaccine and raced ahead of many nations in rolling out shots, prioritizing older generations. More than 84% of people over the age of 12 have received both initial doses of the vaccine and almost 65% have now received a third booster shot.
It has been slower to offer jabs to children as the government weighed the pros and cons of doing so. Most children who get the virus have no symptoms, but they can contribute to its spread. In the week ending Jan. 22, infection rates were highest in primary schools, with 11.8% of the age group testing positive, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.