Covid-19: Children over 12 to be offered vaccine bookings from next week

Children aged 12 and over will be able to book a Covid-19 vaccine appointment as early as next week under a plan to make the jab available as soon as health officials finalise approvals.

Children aged 12 and over will be able to book a Covid-19 vaccine appointment as early as next week under a plan to make the jab available as soon as health officials finalise approvals.

There will be no delay between the Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) granting all children aged 12 to 15 access to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, and the opening of bookings at Commonwealth vaccination centres and GPs.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the federal government will move to instantly open up access to bookings once the advice from ATAGI is received, which is expected to be within days.

Parents will be able to book their child in for a vaccine at their local GP, or from a chemist once they start administering Pfizer.

Children aged 12 and over will be able to book a Covid-19 vaccine appointment as early as next week. Picture: iStock

States are also likely to open up vaccination bookings for kids in mass hubs soon after the approval.

A future in-reach school vaccination program is being planned for later in the year, but the most immediate option for parents would be a GP or hub.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there would be enough Pfizer vaccine to get all children over 12 vaccinated in the coming months.

“We will be able to vaccinate those aged between 12 and 15, alongside the rest of the population in weeks and months ahead,” he told parliament.

“That is exactly what we are planning to do. I know this is very important, my own daughter is 12 and I had this conversation with her today.”

From Monday all Australians aged over 16 are eligible to book their vaccine appointment.

Vaccinations have already made an impact on the Covid-19 death rate, with the number of people dying from the virus in NSW 3.6 times lower than from the equivalent number of cases in Victoria last year.

Originally published as Covid-19: Children over 12 to be offered vaccine bookings from next week