Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has a target for the proportion of children aged 5-15 years whom it wishes to be vaccinated against covid-19; and if he will publish a cost benefit analysis of Government policy in this area.

No formal target has been set. This non-urgent offer has been informed by the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on the approach to the COVID-19 vaccination of children. In its advice, the JCVI considered that a formal cost-benefit analysis was not feasible. The JCVI’s statement on the vaccination of five to 11 year olds is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jcvi-update-on-advice-for-covid-19-vaccination-of-children-aged-5-to-11/jcvi-statement-on-vaccination-of-children-aged-5-to-11-years-old

The JCVI’s statement of November 2021, which includes the provision of second doses for 12 to 15 year olds and first and second doses for five to 11 year olds is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-vaccine-response-to-the-omicron-variant-jcvi-advice/jcvi-advice-on-the-uk-vaccine-response-to-the-omicron-variant