Parents and carers of 5 to 11-year-olds in Jersey can book a Covid-19 vaccine for their child from Thursday 7 April, with appointments available at Fort Regent from Saturday 9 April.

There will be a separate entrance and a separate area in Queen's Hall at the vaccine centre for these youngsters to get their jab.

They will be offered two child doses of the Pfizer vaccine. At least three months have to pass before getting the second dose.

5 to 11 year olds who are classed as vulnerable were offered the vaccine first following advice 

Letters, leaflets, and consent forms are being sent through parent mail.

Parental consent is needed and a signed form will need to be handed in at the appointment.

"I’d like to reassure parents that the paediatric version of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine is safe for their child aged 5 to 11. Following rigorous reviews of the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccine, various authorities such as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the Federal and Drug Administration (FDA), and Health Canada have confirmed it is safe and effective.

Although children are generally at a lower risk of serious illness from the virus, a small number of children who do get infected go on to develop severe illness.

The latest evidence suggests that offering the vaccine ahead of another potential wave will protect that small number of children from serious illness while also protecting many children from the impacts of milder infection. 

Vaccinating your child now against COVID-19 will provide protection for any future waves of infection, the more severe a future wave, the greater the likely benefits from vaccination." - Dr. Ivan Muscat, Deputy Medical Officer of Health.

The vaccine centre will open earlier on weekdays over the Easter Holidays for 5 to 11-year-olds to get their first vaccine.

Opening times for older age groups will stay the same.

"The Vaccination Centre is being adapted to accommodate vaccinating this young generation of Islanders. We have made the Centre as friendly as possible by creating a separate entrance and area for children to get vaccinated.

We have dedicated appointment slots and times for this age group over the Easter holidays to ensure that young children and parents are in and out of the Centre as quickly as possible. We are also able to accommodate appointments for families at the same time so if you have more than one child coming for vaccination, you can book an appointment for them together." - Emma Baker, Head of the Vaccination Programme.