Children aged 5 to 11 in Northern Ireland can now get COVID-19 vaccine

By Q Radio News

All children aged 5 to 11 in Northern Ireland can now get the COVID-19 vaccine.

A new specially-designed children’s formulation of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for this age group.

It's given at a lower dose compared with that used in those aged 12 and above and like all vaccines has been robustly tested.

From Wednesday 2 March 2022 you can make an appointment for your child at a children’s vaccination clinic in your local Health and Social Care Trust using the online booking system at: https://covid-19.hscni.net/get-vaccinated/ 

You may also be able to attend without an appointment.

Dr Jillian Johnston, Joint Interim Assistant Director in Health Protection at the PHA, said:

“COVID-19 has not gone away. Getting vaccinated provides the best protection for both the child and their family.

''Children will need two doses of the vaccine, usually 12 weeks apart, to get longer-lasting protection.

''If your child has tested positive for COVID-19, you should normally wait 12 weeks from the test for your child to have their first or second vaccine.”

For further information for parents on the COVID-19 vaccine for 5 to 11 year olds visit https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/covid-19-vaccination-guide-parents-children-aged-5-11

 Or to find out where your nearest COVID-19 vaccine clinic is, visit https://vaccinations.covid-19.hscni.net/location-search