In line with Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice, NHS Scotland is offering the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to children aged 5 to 11 who:
- are at higher risk from coronavirus due to underlying health conditions
- share living accommodation, on most days, with someone who has a weakened immune system
Eligible children are being invited for their vaccination by NHS Scotland via letter or phone call.
Coronavirus in children
For most children, coronavirus is usually a mild illness that rarely leads to complications. For a very few the symptoms may last for longer than the usual 2 to 3 weeks. A few children will be very poorly and have to go to hospital.
How many doses will children aged 5 to 11 be offered?
Children aged 5 to 11 years will be offered 2 doses of the coronavirus vaccine. The second dose will be offered from 8 weeks after their first dose.
A third primary dose is also being offered to children aged 5 to 11 years with a severely weakened immune system. The third primary dose will be offered from 8 weeks after the second dose.
Which vaccine will my child be offered?
Children aged 5 to 11 years will be offered the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. They'll be given a child-sized dose. A child-sized dose is one third of the dose offered to adults/adolescents (12 years and over).
Read the patient leaflet for the COVID-19 Pfizer/BioNTech child size dose
My child has already had coronavirus, can they get the vaccine?
Even if your child has already had coronavirus, they could still get it again. The vaccine will reduce the risk of your child getting coronavirus. If they do get it again, the vaccine can reduce how serious their symptoms will be. However, if your child has recently tested positive for coronavirus, they should wait until 4 weeks after the date they tested positive to get the vaccine (first or second dose)
Read more at NHS Inform
