Pfizer jabs to be offered to some but not all five to 11-year-olds

A new formulation of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has been approved for use in children aged five to 11.

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) made the approval following a robust review of safety data that shows a positive benefit-risk profile for this jab to be used in the age group.

In light of the regulator’s approval, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is advising that children aged five to 11, who are in a clinical risk group, or who are a household contact of someone (of any age) who is immunosuppressed, should be offered a primary course of vaccination.

A primary course vaccination for these children should be with two 10-microgram doses of the age appropriate Pfizer formulation (Comirnaty) – a third of the adult dose, with eight weeks between the first and second doses.

Further advice regarding Covid vaccination for other five to 11-year-olds will be issued in due course after consideration of additional data, and on the Omicron variant more broadly.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

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