Who is eligble for the COVID-19 vaccine?
A full list of who can get vaccinated is available on the NHS website. It includes the following children and young people:
12 to 15 year olds
All 12-15 year olds will be offered two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Parents or guardians of children aged 12 to 15 will receive letters from their child’s school who are offering the COVID-19 vaccine as part of its School Aged Immunisation Service (SAIS).
- Parents and guardians can also attend a local vaccination centre with their 12-15 year old to get their vaccination outside of school.
Read more information about the vaccine for 12 to 15 year olds here.
16 and 17 year olds
All 16 and 17 year olds can get their COVID-19 vaccinations and booster jabs by walking in to a local vaccine site or booking through the National Booking System online. All vaccine sites and who can attend are listed on this page.
Parental consent will not be required to be vaccinated.
If they've tested positive for coronavirus
All 12 to 17 year olds must leave 12 weeks (84 days) after testing positive for COVID-19 or 12 weeks after their symptoms started, before getting the vaccine. Some teens who are at high-risk from COVID-19 need to wait 4 weeks (28 days) before getting their vaccine.
Frequently asked questions
All children aged 12 to 17 are eligible for their COVID-19 vaccination.
Appointments can be made outside of school via the National Booking Service or call 119. There are also a number of walk-in sites - no booking required.
The JCVI has reviewed extensive clinical evidence for the safety of giving the COVID-19 vaccine to children and young people in the eligible groups and have determined it to be safe and effective. The JCVI has determined that the benefit of vaccinating children in these groups outweighs the risks.
The Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 vaccine is the only vaccine authorised for children aged 12 to 17.
There are no current plans to vaccinate children under 12. However, the JCVI is continually reviewing evidence on this matter and will advise the Government if it decides that a change of approach is required.
Useful resources
Everything COVID has been designed by young people for young people - you can learn more about the vaccine, get answers to your questions and when ready, organise your jab locally.
Young people grill a local GP on the vaccine and asks the real questions everyone is asking.
Check out the video from Wolverhampton Youth Centre on their YouTube channel. They talk about how effective the vaccine is, do they really need it and any long-term side effects with Dr Kam Ahmed, local GP from Wolverhampton.
We spoke to some local college students who let us know why they chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
TikTok fun about the vaccine
We commissioned Beatfreeks to work with six young people to dispel myths around the COVID-19 vaccine among their communities. The campaign #GotMyJab helped share positive messages about the vaccine and encourage people to get theirs. Here are three of our favourites:
2 shots, yes please – trending video shows what everyone has been missing
2 shots yes please, make mine a double – you may have seen the videos already. It’s all about promoting why you need both doses of the COVID-19 vaccines for maximum protection so we can all start to return to normal.
There are also shorter 15 second videos about each topic:
Advice to Headteachers, Teachers and Parents
Over the past month, some schools and headteachers have received letters or emails which feature false or misleading information (misinformation) about the safety, efficacy and purpose of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. There have also been reports of leafleting activity outside of school gates.
Click here to find out what schools can do and for further helpful resources.
More Information
Only read and download trusted sources of information, here are a few example we recommend you read/download:
- gov.uk guide for children and young people and the vaccine - including who is eligible, the vaccine, side effects and how COVID-19 spreads (or you can download this printable leaflet)
- gov.uk 'What to expect after your COVID-19 vaccination - advice for children and young people (or download this printable leaflet)
- NHS.uk have included lots of information about the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Are you pregnant or might be, or worried about your fertility in the future – read more about the vaccine here.
- Our government issue updates on the coronavirus and the vaccine online too.
