Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to publish the data and evidential basis to support any deviation from the advice provided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on administration of a covid-19 vaccine to children aged between 12 and 15.

The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs) advice to offer universal vaccination to children and young people aged 12 to 15 years old and the data and evidential basis underpinning it was published on 13 September at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-vaccination-of-children-and-young-people-aged-12-to-15-years-against-covid-19

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) noted in its advice of 3 September that while the health benefits of vaccinating healthy 12 to 15 year olds outweighed the risks, the margin was too small to recommend vaccination on health grounds alone. The JCVI therefore suggested that the Government may wish to seek further views on the wider societal and educational impacts from the UK CMOs, with representation from the JCVI in these subsequent discussions. Noting the advice of the JCVI, Health Ministers then requested that the UK CMOs consider the matter, in line with JCVI advice. Accepting the JCVI’s advice, the UK CMOs considered the wider public health benefits of universal vaccination for this age group.

On 13 September, the Government accepted the advice of the UK CMOs to offer universal vaccination with a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to children and young people aged 12 to 15 years old. This advice covers all those in this age group who were not already recommended for COVID-19 vaccination by existing advice from the JCVI.