Covid: Second dose of vaccine to be offered to children aged 12-15 in UK

It was announced in September this year that all children aged 12 to 15 in the UK were to be offered a single dose of the Covid vaccine

All children aged 12 to 15 in the UK should be offered a second dose of a Covid vaccine, UK government advisers say.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommend children in that age group should be invited for a second jab three months after their first dose of the vaccine.

This is in response to a new Covid-19 variant arriving in the UK, known as the Omicron variant.

The news comes after the Government announced that secondary schools in England have been "strongly advised" to reintroduce mask wearing in shared areas.

What else did the JCVI recommend?

In a press conference on Monday, Professor Wei Shen Lim - chair of the JCVI - said they wanted to be in the best possible position if there was an increase in infection.

The JCVI announced that all adults should be offered a Covid-19 booster vaccine to help deal with the potential impact of the new Omicron variant.

They also recommended that the minimum gap between the second dose and booster should be reduced to three months and that boosters should be prioritised in order of vulnerability.

They added that people with a severely weakened immune system should be offered a fourth dose of the vaccine. They are currently receiving three jabs.

The JCVI only gives recommendations and the final decision on these Covid measures lies with politicians.

No vaccines have yet been approved for use in children under the age of 12

Will children under 12 get the vaccine?

There are still no plans to vaccinate children under the age of 12 at the moment.

The JCVI also said it would continue to review data on the potential benefits and risks of offering the Covid vaccine to children aged 5 to 11.