FAQ’s
My child is healthy. What are the benefits of them having the COVID-19 vaccine?
As well as protecting children and young people against serious COVID infection, by getting vaccinated, children and young people can reduce the risk of passing on the infection to others in their family and those they come into contact with. Getting the vaccine can also make it easier for children and young people to avoid putting their lives and their education on hold because of further disruption to schools, hobbies and social events due to the virus.
Where can I get my child the COVID-19 vaccine?
Appointments will be available at selected vaccination centres and community pharmacies and can be booked online via the NHS website or by calling 119. Some GP vaccination services will also be offering vaccinations to their patients in this age group but please do not contact your practice unless you are invited to make an appointment.
My child has already had COVID-19 and has built up natural immunity. Why do they still need the vaccine?
The COVID-19 vaccine should give your child stronger protection than natural immunity from previous infection against serious complications of infection – including any future waves due to new variants. Your child should also have some protection from the mild symptoms, and vaccination lowers the risk they will pass the virus on to others around them.
Is COVID-19 disease serious in young children?
For most children COVID-19 is a mild illness that may require a few days off school but rarely leads to complications. For a very few children, the symptoms can be more serious or last longer. There is evidence that some children will experience long COVID, and a minority of children may develop a delayed response known as Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS-TS or PIMS) following COVID-19 infection.
Children with certain health conditions, or those with a weakened immune system, are at higher risk of serious COVID-19 disease. These children and those who live with someone who has a weakened immune system should already have been invited for vaccination.
What is long COVID?
For some people, coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is sometimes called post-COVID-19 syndrome or “long COVID”. The chances of having long-term symptoms does not seem to be linked to how ill you are when you first get COVID-19. People who had mild symptoms at first can still have long-term problems. There are lots of symptoms you can have after a COVID-19 infection. Common long COVID symptoms include extreme tiredness, shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping. A full list of symptoms is available on the NHS website.
Is there more risk to a child of having COVID-19 or the vaccine?
The risk to a child of serious impact from COVID-19 is relatively low, but it will be lower if they get the vaccine. Research shows the COVID-19 vaccine can prevent the virus’s worst effects, can reduce the risk of hospitalisation, and it can protect your child and those around them from catching the virus as easily.
The majority of children and young people experience only mild symptoms following COVID-19 infection or are asymptomatic. However, there is evidence that some will experience Long COVID, and a minority of children may develop a delayed response known as Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS-TS or PIMS) following COVID-19 infection.
The vaccine has been tested across the world and found to be safe and effective, including for children this age.
Why is the NHS offering vaccinations to 5 to 11-year-olds when the Government/ JCVI has said it is not urgent?
The JCVI has recommended that the NHS offer vaccinations to all 5 to 11-year-olds, to boost immunity and increase their protection against any future waves of COVID-19. This recommendation has been accepted by Government and the vaccine has been approved for this age group by the UK’s medicines regulator, so the NHS is offering the vaccine to this group.
COVID-19 is still active and causing some children to miss out on their education and the things they enjoy.
The NHS wants to support families to make an informed choice, and to make things convenient and child-friendly for those who do decide to get it.
Will the vaccine give my child COVID-19?
Your child cannot catch COVID-19 from the vaccine. There is sometimes a delay in symptoms so it is possible they could catch the virus but not realise this until after their vaccination.
How long will the vaccine protect my child from COVID-19?
The COVID-19 vaccination will reduce the chance of your child suffering from COVID-19 disease. It may take a few weeks for their body to build up maximum protection from the vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine should give your child long lasting protection against serious complications of infection – including any future waves due to new variants. Some children may still get COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, but this should be less severe. If a child has had COVID-19 they will still get extra protection from the vaccine, but they will need to wait 12 weeks before getting vaccinated.
Which vaccine will my child be given and how many doses will they need?
Children aged 5 to 11 with no other underlying health conditions will be offered two paediatric (child) doses of the vaccine, with at least 12 weeks between doses. A paediatric dose is smaller than the doses given to those aged 12 and over.
Why is there a difference in the dose for 5 to 11-year-olds and those over 12?
5 to11 year-olds will be given a paediatric dose, 10 micrograms of Pfizer vaccine, compared to the 30 micrograms of Pfizer vaccine given to older children and adults. The majority of children and young people experience only mild symptoms following COVID-19 infection or are asymptomatic. A smaller dose will provide protection while also reducing the risk of side-effects.
Is the paediatric dose as effective as the adult dose?
The immune response in 5 to 11-year-olds after a paediatric dose of the vaccine will protect them from severe disease and reduce the risk of side-effects, in the same way that the adult dose protects those aged 12 and over.
The vaccine does not remove the virus, but research and experience of countries around the world shows it can prevent the worst effects of COVID-19 and reduce the risk of infection to your child and those around them.
My child is vulnerable/at risk. When should they have their vaccine?
Children aged 5 to 11 years-old who are more at risk from have already offered the vaccine and can get two paediatric (child) doses, eight weeks apart. Their GP or hospital specialist should have been in touch to arrange this.
I want to get my child vaccinated – what is the consent process?
Parents, carers or those with parental responsibilities should attend COVID-19 vaccination appointments with their child. Unlike vaccinations in schools, consent is collected on the day so this is the best way to make sure they can be vaccinated by going through questions together on site. For looked after children, please refer to the care plan where permissions and restrictions of consent will be outlined. Further information on consent to treatment for children and young people is available on the GOV.UK website.
My child is scared of injections – is it better to visit a vaccination site or GP/Pharmacy?
All vaccination sites, including GPs and Pharmacies are making efforts to ensure the vaccination environment is child-friendly and welcoming for families with young children. Vaccinators will make reasonable adjustments and fast-track individuals who are worried about vaccination. For example, sites may offer longer appointments and minimise the waiting time for children who are feeling anxious.
Will my child be offered a booster?
The NHS follows government decisions about who to vaccinate and the number of doses they received, which reflect recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI). Currently there are no plans to offer healthy 5 to 11-year-olds a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Healthwatch Kirklees is an independent consumer champion for people using health and social care services – we ask that you tell us about your experience of using your GP, local hospital, dentist, care worker, day centre, care home, etc…, and we use that intelligence to help commissioners and providers to make necessary changes to the way that services are provided.
We influence local services, give voice to the community, represent that voice locally. We also:
- Participate in decision-making via the local authority Health and Wellbeing Board
- Support individuals and the community to have a voice, through providing advice, information and signposting
- Represent that voice both locally and nationally through Healthwatch England
You can find out more about what we do by looking at ‘our work’ page, which shows the work we have done.
Healthwatch Kirklees in an independent charity – it’s not provided by any one organisation, but it is managed by a consortium of different charitable organisation in Kirklees. These are Kirklees Citizens Advice, Mencap in Kirklees, Cloverleaf Advocacy, Age UK Calderdale and Kirklees, Barnardo’s, Huddersfield Mission and Voluntary Action Kirklees.
Representatives from each of these organisations take a seat on the Healthwatch Kirklees Trustee Board, alongside Community Representatives. For more details of our staff team, our board and volunteers, check out the Meet the Team page.
No. Although Healthwatch England is part of the Care Quality Commission, local Healthwatch organisations are being established as fully independent bodies run by local people, for local people.
Healthwatch England has been set up to give a national voice to the key issues that affect people who use health and social care services. It has been established as a statutory committee of the CQC.
The main functions of Healthwatch England are:
– To provide national leadership, guidance and support by way of advice and assistance to local Healthwatch organisations
– To be able to escalate concerns about health and social care services raised by local Healthwatch, users of services, and members of the public to the CQC
– To provide advice and information to the Secretary of State, NHS Commissioning Board, Monitor and local authorities.
· No, your local Healthwatch is commissioned by their local authority and will be accountable to them.
· Healthwatch England will provide guidance for Local Healthwatch to support them to develop as effectively as possible.
· Your Local Healthwatch is also accountable to you, the local community that it serves.
We can be influential and we can make a difference. We can take the evidence of what you tell us about your experience of local services, and what needs to change to make them better, to those who commission and provide those services and put the case for change. We’ll act as their “critical friend”. But they have to listen to us and they have to respond to us – it’s a legal obligation on them.
Healthwatch has a number of legal powers under the Health and Social Care Act 2012:
· To gather people’s views on, and experiences of, the health and social care system.
· To send trained representatives to enter and view local services to speak to patients and service users, and observe services being delivered.
· To produce reports, make recommendations and get a response from commissioners and service providers.
· To have influence on local commissioning decisions through membership of the statutory health and wellbeing board, and involvement in preparing joint health and wellbeing strategies.
· It has a place on the Kirklees Health and Wellbeing Board –meaning it has the power in law to influence local decision-making around health and social care
· It can feed views and recommendations to Healthwatch England who can take action at a national level if needed.
Our remit covers any provider of health and social care that is in receipt of public funding.
The principal funders of local Healthwatch are Local Authorities.
You can contact Healthwatch Kirklees if you would like to speak to someone about your personal experience or have feedback about a local health and social care service. Your feedback and experience will be collated by Healthwatch Kirklees and passed onto the relevant providers and Healthwatch England to help identify trends so that any issues can be addressed.
Healthwatch Kirklees can also help you to find your way around the complex health and social care system. For example, if you want to know why you haven’t received a hospital appointment or if you want to make a complaint we can tell you the most appropriate people to contact.
You can also contact us if you would like to volunteer for Healthwatch Kirklees.
You can apply to become a volunteer for Healthwatch Kirklees. Please visit our ‘get involved’ page for more details on how to do this.
Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) were set up under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and became operational on 1st April 2013 replacing the former Primary Care Trusts.
CCGs are groups of General Practitioners (GPs) who control the local NHS budget and are responsible for planning and commissioning local health care services.
All GPs must belong to a CCG.
In Kirklees, there are two CCG’s: North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Group and Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group
CCG – Clinical Commissioning Group
CIC – Community Interest Company
CQC – Care Quality Commission
CVS – Council for Voluntary Service (common name for local voluntary sector infrastructure organisation providing support and representation for voluntary and community organisations)
DH – Department of Health
HWB – Health and Wellbeing Board
HWE – Healthwatch England
JHWS – Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy
JSA – Joint Strategic Assessment
LA – Local authority
LGA – Local Government Association
LHW – Local Healthwatch
NHS – National Health Service
NHS Institute – NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
NICE – National Institute of Clinical Excellence
PALS – Patient Advice and Liaison Service
PPG – Patient Participation Group
VCO – Voluntary or Community Organisation
VCS – Voluntary and Community Sector (also known as the third sector)
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