UK to offer COVID vaccination first doses to all aged 16 years and above

After receiving formal advice favouring younger age cohorts, Britain's health service will expand their COVID-19 vaccination programme to everyone aged 16 and over on Wednesday. 
This move will help the UK join other countries such as the United States, Israel, and France who have already started vaccinating older teenagers. 

According to media reports, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) issued a formal recommendation to offer first doses to people aged 16 and 17, with advice on second doses to be updated following further data.

Informing the media, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the vaccines have saved more than 60,000 lives and prevented 22 million infections in England alone. It acts a building a wall of defence against the virus and is the best way to protect people from a severe illness. He further said the Committee has not yet recommended vaccination under-16s without underlying health conditions but will keep its the position under review. 

Those aged 12 to 15 with severe neuro-disabilities, Down's Syndrome, immunosuppression and multiple or severe learning disabilities, as well as people in this age group who are household contacts of individuals who are immunosuppressed, are already eligible for vaccination. 

The first inoculations for about 1.4 million older teenagers will be offered by the National Health Service (NHS) in the next few weeks ahead of a return to classrooms for the start of the autumn term. Children will not need their parents' consent to get a jab.

Speaking on the urgency of the vaccinations, Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged all families to think about it as JCVI are the best in the world and know what's safe.
More than 85 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the UK. Approximately, 46,851,145 people received the first dose (88.6 per cent) and 38,345,841 people receiving both doses (72.5 per cent).

• COVID
• United Kingdom
• Coronavirus