-
Question
Ashworth inquired about the roll-out plan for vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds, seeking clarity on timelines and methods of delivery. He questioned whether parents would need to arrange appointments or if schools would be involved.
Minister reply
The Minister responded affirmatively to Ashworth's queries, confirming that the Government will follow a similar model used for other vaccinations like TB, HPV, and flu in primary schools, where school nurses and health visitors may administer vaccines directly. The exact logistics of booking appointments or arranging vaccinators would be determined by local NHS organisations.
-
Question
Will the Minister explain to the House what the next stage in the children’s vaccination programme will look like? By what date does he anticipate that children will be vaccinated? Will the model used for other vaccines such as TB, HPV and flu vaccinations be replicated for this programme? What measures are being taken to drive up adult vaccination rates?
Minister reply
The NHS will use its existing school age vaccination infrastructure to deliver this vaccine. The CMOs will provide guidance on parental consent. Parental consent will generally be sought by the schools, and in rare cases where a child is deemed Gillick competent and wishes to proceed without parental consent, the process has been outlined.
-
Question
Could the Minister tell the House when we will have a decision on boosters? Could he also confirm that we will have no problems with supply after the Valneva decision today and with flu jabs, if we are going to have this big expansion of jabbing later in the autumn?
Minister reply
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has provided interim advice on a potential booster programme including both flu and covid vaccines. The final advice is awaited but there will be no supply issues from the Valneva decision affecting the booster programme, which will begin this month with ambitious targets of 35 million doses.
-
Question
Was the delay in vaccinating children due to a narrow remit given to JCVI or shortage of vaccines? How will this decision impact public health messaging?
Minister reply
The JCVI's remit was focused on clinical data, including rare signals like myocarditis and pericarditis. There were no supply issues for vaccines. The decision by the Government is aimed at providing reassurance to families across the country.
-
Question
I have given many vaccines in my time, including hundreds of covid vaccines more recently, but I am not comfortable with vaccinating teenagers to prevent educational disruption. Under the current rules, no child needs to isolate if they are a contact. They do so only if they are a positive case and, for them, the maximum is eight days of schooling—and that is only if they catch coronavirus during term time. Half of children have already had it and are very unlikely to get it again. Does the Minister therefore really believe that vaccinating 3 million children to prevent an average of four days or less off school is reasonable?
Minister reply
I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s important question, and I thank her for the work she has done and continues to do on the vaccination programme. All I would say to her is that I think it is important that the Government accept the final decision—the unanimous decision—of the four chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and offer the vaccine. Of course, parental consent will be sought, but it is only right that we offer the one-dose vaccine to 12 to 15-year-olds as per the advice received today.
-
Question
I thank the Minister for the statement. I have highlighted many times in this Chamber the low take-up among some communities, specifically our black and minority ethnic communities. They are the same communities that will be hesitant about their children coming forward. They will be the same communities, if the vaccines have to be administered in school, that will make sure their children do not go to school that day. So I want to know what additional support and information—in different languages and reaching out to those communities—there will be to properly inform them so that they can make the decision about whether or not their children are vaccinated.
Minister reply
I am grateful for the hon. Lady’s question. Actually, on her final sentence about proper information, I think it is important not to stigmatise any parent whatsoever. It is right that we supply the information, and there will be an extensive information programme that the school-age vaccination team will deliver and work on with schools. The Minister for School Standards, who is sitting on my left, and his team, whom I have to commend, have been engaged throughout today in making sure that that information does get through to parents to make that decision.
-
Question
Given the earlier decision of the JCVI, the low risk to children and the fact that children are not significant vectors of transmitting this awful disease, will my hon. Friend ensure that the chief medical officer makes it very clear to parents who may be concerned about vaccinating their children why this needs to happen and what difference it will make to their children? The Secretary of State for Education has said that parental consent would “always”—always—be asked before they receive the vaccine, and I just want the Minister to clear that up because understandably, and rightly in my view, parents will want to be able to consent. Finally, could I ask him how much this will cost financially?
Minister reply
I am grateful to the Chair of the Education Committee, who has rightly been incredibly engaged in the process and the debate around it. I confirm to him that parents will be asked for their consent, and information will be made available to enable them fully to understand the recommendation of the chief medical officers for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. I will happily write to him about the cost of this part of the vaccination programme.
-
Question
The Minister is right to say that the virus is still with us. This morning, there were 91 people hospitalised in my local hospital trust compared with 25 on 1 June, and vaccination for 16-year-olds and above—double vaccination—remains stubbornly stuck at 50% in my local authority area. Apart from this measure, what does the Minister have in mind to address these serious issues?
Minister reply
I am grateful for the hon. Member’s question. He raises an important issue, and he has raised it with me in the MPs briefings as well. One thing we continue to do is to have the evergreen offer so that people can come forward at any time. I can share with the House that in the past week, for example, in the first phase of groups 1 to 9—the most vulnerable as per the JCVI recommendation, as the House will recall—we still had 30,000 people come forward for their first dose, and out of the second phase of groups 10 to 12, we had 70,000. Therefore 100,000 people took advantage of the evergreen offer. As we embark—the planning is well under way—on the booster programme, we continue to drive up the evergreen offer for first-dose people to come forward.
-
Question
I listened carefully to the Minister’s answer to the Chair of the Health and Social Committee, and perhaps I may press him a little. He said that the Government have received only interim advice from the JCVI about the adult booster campaign, but this morning outside the House the Prime Minister said that the booster campaign would be going ahead and had already been approved. Have the Government received the final advice from the JCVI about the adult booster campaign, which it said could be different from its initial advice? Have the Government made a decision about the details of the adult booster campaign and whether it is indeed going ahead?
Minister reply
I am grateful for my right hon. Friend’s important question. We have received interim advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which we have published, and it has now received the Cov-Boost data. The interim advice was about vaccinating the most vulnerable with a booster for covid and for flu. It is advising a two-stage process, and stage one is to offer the booster vaccines to those in the old 1 to 4 cohorts plus the immunocompromised, and then to groups 5 to 9. That is the right way to proceed. We have not yet received its final advice.[Official Report, 14 September 2021, Vol. 700, c. 8MC.] It could be different to the interim advice, but boosting preparations are well under way. Clearly that final advice is predicated on which vaccine delivers the highest level of protection and durability.
-
Question
I have great sympathy for the Minister for having to come here to try to respond to the latest musings from the Prime Minister’s mind. I believe he is saying that when this morning the Prime Minister said that the programme was going ahead, the final advice had not been received and, indeed, while preparations are ongoing, there may be subsequent advice that once again changes everything. Is that what the Minister is saying? How does he expect people to have confidence when the information coming from the Government appears to be so arbitrary and constantly changing, with no real clarity or medical robustness to it at all?
Minister reply
I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s question, although I think there is an inherent unfairness in his final few words. The whole House, indeed the nation, would agree that this virus and pandemic have been challenging not just for this country and Government, but for the rest of the world. We have had to learn rapidly about the virus and how it behaves in the human body, and there has been the incredible work of the scientists who developed the vaccine, the NHS and everyone involved in the vaccine roll-out. The interim advice is important and has allowed us to have preparations well under way to deliver the covid booster programme. I am confident that the final advice, depending on the COV-Boost study, will allow us to boost the programme this month, and boost at scale.
-
Question
Who will be responsible for writing to give advice to medical professionals on the risk-benefit analysis of giving a relatively new vaccine to 12-year-olds? Will that be the Chief Medical Officer, or the JCVI? How will the Government ensure timely and well-explained advice to parents, who will be the first point of contact and who may feel anxious about giving advice for which they are not properly qualified?
Minister reply
My right hon. Friend raises a really important question. Of course, it was the CMOs who led the further work that took place and who made the announcement today. Health is devolved, as he knows, so the chief medical officer for Scotland will take that on in ensuring that the system—whether it is primary care or other parts of the system—understands the advice in full. The school-age vaccination programme is the major element of this particular part of the vaccination programme. It is very well versed in working with parents and teachers, and of course with young people to make sure that they have all the information they need to be able to take it back to their parents, get the consent and get their vaccination on time.
-
Question
Wilson questioned the potential for bullying and stigmatization if schools are aware of who has been vaccinated, and how this could exacerbate educational disadvantage.
Minister reply
Zahawi countered that school bubbles have largely disappeared, making it less likely for stigma to arise. He highlighted that clinicians will manage consent and communication processes carefully, ensuring no additional pressure on children.
-
Question
Duncan Smith expressed concern over the pressure this decision might place on children when there is a dispute between parents about vaccine consent.
Minister reply
Zahawi reassured that it will be rare for schools to need to make decisions in such cases, as most vaccinations will require parental consent. He stressed that clinicians rather than teachers would manage the informed consent process.
-
Question
Maskell asked about the resourcing for staff to both vaccinate and inform young people, as well as why 11-year-olds were excluded from this programme.
Minister reply
Zahawi explained that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has only approved vaccines for those aged 12-15. He confirmed that infrastructure is in place to provide information through both traditional and digital means.
-
Question
Brady questioned the JCVI’s advice concerning uncertainty about long-term health risks due to myocarditis following vaccination.
Minister reply
Zahawi clarified that the JCVI’s recommendation was based on clinical data, and recent analysis by Chief Medical Officers has provided additional clarity.
-
Question
Jones welcomed the statement but asked about arrangements for vaccinating children with special educational needs.
Minister reply
Zahawi confirmed that many such children would already be vaccinated under earlier recommendations and stated that schools are provided with necessary information to handle these cases carefully.
-
Question
Cates inquired about plans for antibody testing to help parents make informed decisions.
Minister reply
Zahawi agreed to review the proposal and respond with further details after the statement.
-
Question
Wilson highlighted lost school days due to the pandemic and asked for funding commitments for improved ventilation, air purifiers in classrooms, and face coverings.
Minister reply
Zahawi acknowledged the importance of these measures but focused on current initiatives such as distributing carbon dioxide monitors.
-
Question
Loughton discussed parental consent requirements and asked about vaccination policies for children in care.
Minister reply
Zahawi confirmed that the deemed carer would be responsible for giving consent if birth parents or long-term foster carers object.
-
Question
Trickett criticised the timing of the announcement, suggesting it was late considering ongoing transmission.
Minister reply
Zahawi maintained that careful consideration of international data is crucial, emphasising the importance of following expert advice to transition from pandemic to endemic status.
-
Question
Will the Minister guarantee that a child’s ability to receive an education equally with their peers will never be linked to their vaccination status?
Minister reply
The minister reassures that vaccine status will not affect educational opportunities and emphasises that the decision is based on clinical advice aimed at protecting children's health.
-
Question
Is the Minister concerned about winter levels of respiratory syncytial virus in hospitals, and what will be done to monitor clinically extremely vulnerable individuals?
Minister reply
The minister acknowledges concern over RSV cases but highlights ongoing efforts by NHS and school-age vaccination programmes to manage flu and other vaccines effectively.
-
Question
To what extent does the vaccination of a child reduce their risk of transmitting the virus to vulnerable individuals?
Minister reply
The minister agrees to provide data on transmission rates from vaccinated children and cites figures showing that 60% of double-vaccinated individuals do not become infected or transmit the delta variant.
-
Question
Will the scientific evidence supporting a wider booster plan be published, and will prioritisation of vaccines for COVAX be considered?
Minister reply
The minister confirms publication of JCVI’s final advice and highlights UK’s delivery of 9 million vaccine doses through COVAX, including 4 million to Australia.
-
Question
What routes will parents have for answering their children's questions about the vaccine decision?
Minister reply
The minister assures that information will be available online and in leaflets, and families can contact their family doctor to discuss concerns.
-
Question
Can urgency be put into assistance for schools regarding ventilation and air purification equipment?
Minister reply
The minister acknowledges ongoing work by the Department for Education to distribute necessary equipment to schools as quickly as possible.
-
Question
Is the Minister concerned about parents and teachers being pitted against each other, potentially causing division among children?
Minister reply
The minister argues that clinicians are well-equipped to deliver vaccines and that the programme will not stigmatise or divide individuals.
-
Question
How will schools and teachers ensure children receive age-appropriate information about vaccinations?
Minister reply
The minister emphasises that clinicians delivering school-age vaccination programmes are well-equipped to provide appropriate information and support parents' consent procedures.
-
Question
What measures will be taken to ensure decisions like this do not happen again, considering concerns over the impact on children’s mental health?
Minister reply
The minister highlights that chief medical officers considered mental health impacts and emphasises voluntary vaccination with no stigmatisation.
-
Question
Can the Minister confirm that parental consent will be sought for under-16-year-olds and not children themselves, with no mandatory vaccination at any time? He also asks about the potential impact of peer pressure on decision-making.
Minister reply
Parental consent will be sought through schools, and a consultation process is in place to ensure that parents have sufficient time to provide their consent. In rare cases where a parent refuses but the child wishes to be vaccinated, clinicians will assess the child's competence.
-
Question
The hon. Member inquires about the legal assessment supporting Gillick competence and whether it is applicable given the context of widespread vaccination programmes with limited long-term evidence.
Minister reply
Legal advice has been sought extensively, and on rare occasions when a parent refuses but the child wants to be vaccinated, clinicians will consult both parties before assessing the child's competency according to the Gillick competence criteria.
-
Question
The hon. Member asks for concrete steps to ensure that no unvaccinated child is treated differently from a vaccinated one in educational and societal settings.
Minister reply
No discrimination will occur between vaccinated and unvaccinated children; vaccinations are voluntary.
-
Question
The hon. Member asks if all families will have access to their trusted family GP for advice on the hazards of the vaccine programme before making a decision.
Minister reply
Parents and families are advised through schools' information-sharing processes, including consent forms that must be signed and returned by parents.