NHS Fife is stepping up its plans to offer COVID-19 vaccination to young people in the Kingdom aged 12-15 years old.
On 14 September 2021, it was announced that those aged 12-15 years old who were not already covered by existing advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will be offered a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, following advice provided by the UK’s four Chief Medical Officers.
Around 16,000 eligible 12–15-year-olds across Fife will shortly begin receiving appointment letters. These will arrive in the same blue envelope as previous age groups, with appointments commencing on 2nd October 2021. Each appointment will be scheduled for after 3.30pm on weekdays, or at weekends to prevent young people from having to take time out of school, with vaccination offered at the closest available clinic to home.
The appointment letter will also include advice and guidance for parents or guardians around the process of informed consent. Allocated appointment slots are also being extended to allow vaccinators to discuss the process of informed consent and address any questions associated with this requirement.
Drop-in clinics will also be offered for those aged 12–15 years-old, with NHS Fife working towards accommodating this age group from Wednesday 22nd September. Work is already underway to reconfigure vaccination venues for the additional requirements necessary to vaccinate those aged 12-15 years.
Details of these drop-in clinic locations and opening times will be published on the NHS Fife website and promoted via social media once finalised.
Dr Esther Curnock, NHS Fife’s Deputy Director of Public Health, said:
“All children and young people who are 12 years and older are now being offered COVID-19 vaccination. This offer is being made across the UK following a wider review by the four Chief Medical Officers, which had additional medical contributions such as the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
“In Fife this cohort will be offered a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and these will be primarily delivered via scheduled appointments, rather than at drop-in clinics, to allow us to offer slightly longer appointments that will allow our young people, their parents or guardians the opportunity to discuss the process of informed consent and for our vaccinators to answer any questions or address any concerns that they might have.”
A dedicated web page has been setup on the NHS Fife website to provide information for 12-15 year-olds on COVID vaccination and to help answer any questions they may have.
