On-site 2nd COVID-19 Vaccination For Students Aged 12 – 15 years
Dear Parent/Carer
2nd Covid-19 Vaccination For Students Aged 12 – 15 Years
Earlier today I communicated to all parent/carers that on Wednesday 12 January the school will be hosting a nursing team that will be delivering the second Covid-19 injection to eligible students. It was my intention to write to you tomorrow however, we have now been provided with additional information that can now be sent out.
To confirm the school will be open as normal and when students are not having their vaccination, they will be in lessons as normal. The plan is to vaccinate students one year group at a time. As before, Welling School staff are not directly involved in the administration of the vaccination. This is being carried out by trained medical practitioners. Our role is to provide a suitable venue and help supervise students.
Below & attached is a letter from the vaccination team. There is a link to an electronic consent form that parent/carers must fill out again if they want their child to have their second vaccination. On the day a child will not be able to choose to have their second vaccination if their parent/carers have not given consent via the online form.
The school is not in a position to advise about the vaccination. However, the NHS have asked that in addition to the letter that we also share with you a list of frequently asked questions.
With very best wishes.
Yours faithfully
Mr R Pett
Headteacher
COVID-19 Vaccination for children and young people 12 – 15yrs
Dear Parents, Guardians and Pupils,
A second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is now being recommended for all children aged 12-15 years old at a minimum of 12 weeks from the first dose. Your child may have already received their first dose as part of the schools vaccination programme or a local vaccination centre.
Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust are working with Bexley borough to provide second dose vaccinations to eligible students in various locations, both in and out of the school setting, giving maximum flexibility for access. We will also be offering first dose vaccinations to any eligible students.
We have attached some frequently asked questions that you might find useful. Please discuss the vaccination with your child, and if you wish to proceed, please complete an electronic consent form via this link: https://hrch.jotform.com/213332543266956
NOTE: No vaccination will be given without explicit parental consent.
Records will be subsequently updated to include proof of vaccination. If you wish to discuss the vaccination with a member of the GSTT COVID-19 Vaccination team, please send us an email at Covid19schoolsvaccinationprogramme@gstt.nhs.uk.
Yours sincerely,
Jo Turville
Director of Operations,
COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
COVID-19 vaccination for children and young people aged 12 to 15 years Frequently asked questions
Which vaccine is being administered?
In line with current guidance, young people between the ages of 12 and 15 are being offered two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, spaced 12 weeks apart (unless your child is clinically extremely vulnerable, then the 2nd dose can be offered after 8 weeks).
How safe is the COVID-19 vaccine for children?
The independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) conducted an extensive review of the safety, quality and effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in children aged 12-15 and determined it to be very effective.
What side effects might my child experience?
Most side effects are mild and should only last 1-2 days, including: a sore arm around the injection site, fatigue, headache, other body aches, flu-like symptoms such as chills. If your child has a history of allergic reactions, they will be observed for 15 minutes after having the vaccine (it’s very rare to have a serious allergic reaction to the vaccine, and if one does occur it will be within minutes). For a full-list of side effects, please refer to the information leaflets that will be provided on the vaccination day.
When will my child be vaccinated?
GSTT (Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust) is planning a programme of return visits to schools commencing the week of 10 January 2022 across the Bexley borough. Schools will communicate with parents, carers and young people directly when dates are confirmed.
What if my child is unable to have the vaccine on the day? Are there any mop-up options? COVID-19 vaccine appointments can always be made at St. Thomas’ Hospital in South East London by emailing CovidVaccineBookings@gstt.nhs.uk or telephoning 02071884040. Alternative options that are local to Bexley will be shared in due course.
Why wasn’t my child vaccinated when the team came to the school?
Common reasons why pupils do not receive the vaccination during our visit include: consent was submitted too late and we were not able to pick it up on the day, the child is younger than 12 years old, the child was positive for COVID-19 in the last 12 weeks and/or the child was not eligible for their vaccine per the approved clinical timeline.
My child has tested positive for COVID-19, can they be vaccinated?
In line with current guidance, the interval between a positive COVID-19 test and a COVID-19 vaccination should be 12 weeks.
What about those young people who are 11 or nearly 16?
We are only able to vaccinate children who are 12 years of age or older. There will be provision for those pupils soon to turn 12 years to be vaccinated as part of the programme - we will be reviewing follow up visits accordingly. Otherwise, they should consider booking an alternative appointment at a local centre upon their 12th birthday. We are able to vaccinate 16 and 17 year old students; however, these pupils will be treated as adults.
05 January 2022
The online form isn’t working, what can I do?
The school shares a letter with parents, within which is a link to our electronic consent form. If you are unable to open the link, hold the ‘ctrl’ key on your keyboard and click on the link to open. Alternatively, try copying and pasting the link into a browser. If you are still unable to access the link, please email Covid19schoolsvaccinationprogramme@gstt.nhs.uk for help.
I’ve made a mistake on the form, what should I do?
Please submit a new form with the correct details.
I do not consent – do I have to fill in the form?
Only young people with parental consent will be offered a vaccination in schools. If you do not consent, you do not need to submit a form.
We have changed our minds about consent
If you wish to change consent status, please submit a new form and contact us by email on Covid19Schoolsvaccinationprogramme@gstt.nhs.uk with ‘consent withdrawn’ in the subject line giving details of your child / school in the email message. Please note that we prepare for visits to schools in advance and are unable to process last minute changes automatically.