Everything young people, parents, guardians and carers need to know about the Covid vaccine

Amazing Arabella, 17, with her brother JD, 16 are both keen to get vaccinated (Supplied)

The success of the UK’s adult vaccination programme has saved tens of thousands of lives and enabled all of us to return to more normal daily routines – and now young people are being invited to get their jabs too.

Those aged 16-17 can now book their jabs online, with parents, guardians and carers encouraged to give a helping hand if needed.

And this autumn, young people aged 12 to 15 are also being offered the first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at their school.

The UK’s chief medical officers all agree that while most young people suffer only mild symptoms after contracting the virus (or sometimes none at all), it can still be very unpleasant, and just a single dose of the vaccine offers good protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.

The vaccine has been tested and approved for young people by the country’s top scientists and many other countries have been offering vaccines to under 18s for sometime now.

Vaccinating 12-17-year-olds against Covid-19 is proven to be safe, and the jabs offer health benefits to young people and those around them. But getting vaccinated also offers wider benefits.

It means young people can keep their lives moving this autumn, supporting their mental health and wellbeing. It means transmission of the virus in schools and colleges will be reduced, helping keep everyone in the classroom. And it means they won’t miss out on the things that matter to them, such as going travelling, to festivals or meeting up with friends or for family gatherings as Christmas approaches.

12 to 15-year-olds

• All UK chief medical officers have recommended vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds to protect their physical and mental health and education
• Vaccinating your 12 to 15-year-old will reduce transmission in school and help keep them in the classroom
• Vaccination consent will always be sought first from parents or carers
• 12 to 15-year-olds will be provided with advice and information, usually in the form of a leaflet, for their own use and to share and discuss with parents prior to immunisation

Beauty and fashion influencer Amazing Arabella, 17, said she and her brother JD, 16, are planning on getting vaccinated.

“I think people want to get back to normality, just like I do,” she said. “There's loads of cool events coming up, such as Halloween, Christmas and we all want to go to them, we don't want to miss them. We want to spend time with our families too. And we just want to be out and about and back to normal - I think that's what it's all about.

“Young people, they think they're immune to everything, but we can actually be spreading it, especially to older people, who we already know aren’t very good with the virus. So I think it's important that we all get it, and it helps communities and families all get back to normal.”

JD added: “I see it as something that’s going to make everyone safe and obviously, make the world a safer place. I’m not worried about getting Covid myself, I just want to help out and make sure everyone’s good. I want to be ready for Halloween, Christmas and bonfire night.”

16 to 17-year-olds

• Getting the jab means you won’t miss out on the things that matter this autum
• If you’re 17 and in year 13 it’s a great way to help have your best last year with your friends
• More than half of 16- and 17-year-olds have already been vaccinated at local vaccination sites and walk-in centres across the country
• Just book with your GP, online or pop into your nearest walk-in centre when you’re passing one in your area. You can even go with your friends after school

More than half of 16 and 17-year-olds have already been vaccinated against the virus, but those that are unvaccinated remain at risk.

All 12-15-year-olds are being offered a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine via the School Age Immunisation Service in the same way as other vaccination programmes for young people, such as MMR or HPV.

The online vaccination booking service is also available to those aged 16-17. This in addition to the process of getting jabs via walk-in centres – making it even easier for young people and parents to book their jabs.

Young people and their parents and carers will understandably have questions about the vaccine and whether it is right for them.

Here, leading doctors answer some of those questions.

Dr Elaine Lockhart, chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Child and Adolescent Faculty

‘Talk to young people about any worries they might have and let them asking plenty of questions,’ says Dr Elaine Lockhart (Supplied)

Why is it important to speak to young people about the vaccine and make sure they understand it?

Children are so aware of what’s been happening this past year and a half, they’ve been hearing all about Covid.

What parents can do is make sure they have the best information. Like any decision you have about medical treatment, we’re talking about informed consent so they need to know exactly what the vaccine’s for.

Let them know we wouldn’t expect people their age to become very unwell with Covid – although it’s not unheard of – but they can get it, we’ve seen it spread through schools.

What are the important things to tell them?

I would hope parents would share their own experience of having the vaccine and how it’s taken a while for the decision to be made to vaccinate young people because researchers are being really cautious with teenagers. Explain to them why it’s in their best interests.

Talk to them about any worries they might have and let them ask plenty of questions. Work out the practical aspects with them – where they’re going to get it, who’ll be with them, all those different things.

Dr Dawn Harper, an NHS doctor for over 30 years who currently works as a GP in Gloucestershire

‘It’s an incredibly safe vaccine,’ says Dr Dawn Harper (Supplied)

Does the vaccine have any likely side effects for young people?

The main one is perhaps a bit of soreness in the arm. I’ve had both my vaccines and I’m awaiting my booster. Interestingly, I had a sore arm after my first vaccine and nothing at all after my second. Schools are used to offering immunisations – we’ve been offering the HPV vaccine through schools for a while, so they’re well set up to do it.

It’s an incredibly safe vaccine. I’m still impressed at how the researchers worked to get this to market as quickly as they did without cutting corners. One of the things patients worry about is if it’s this quick they must have cut corners and actually what they did was to run trials simultaneously, doing things more efficiently, without cutting safety corners.

If young people are vegan or vegetarian, or have an allergy, is the vaccine suitable?

Absolutely. It’s a completely vegan-friendly vaccine. An allergy or being vegan are nothing to worry about when you’re taking the vaccine.

Has the vaccine been rigorously tested on the younger age group?

Yes, I feel very confident about the science behind it. There was a lot of debate in the media around looking at risk vs benefit in different age groups all the way through. Young people are less likely to get seriously ill, but we need to look at the bigger picture and that’s missed education, protection against long Covid and letting kids get out and about again so that we can help them with any mental health issues.

If you come from a middle class background where you’ve all got your own computers home schooling was a much easier thing than if you’re all trying to share one screen. So it’s really important that we try and even out those differences and get people back into the classroom.

Dr Bob Phillips, who has been heavily involved in the childrens’ cancer-directed response to Covid-19

‘The risks of disease are still going to be greater than the risks of having the vaccine,’ says Dr Bob Phillips (Supplied)

What are some of the risks of the vaccination versus the risk of getting Covid-19, especially for the younger cohort?

The evidence we have so far suggests that the risks of disease are still going to be greater than the risks of having the vaccine.

The side effects that you get from the vaccine, essentially, are a sore arm. Maybe you could feel a bit shivery or shaky. There are some very rare systemic side effects as well, but those are the common ones.

Like having any other vaccine, your HPV vaccine, the MMR booster vaccine, your diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccine, the vaccines that you had when you were two, three, and four months old. They’re injection site reactions, rather than anything more systemic around the body.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or distressed by the decision or Covid-19, please get support here.

Additional information for parents and children to have supported conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine for 12-15 year olds, including how it works and what to expect after the vaccination, is available here.