All 16 and 17 year olds to be offered Covid vaccination by August 23

The government has said it wants to offer a first dose of Covid vaccine to all 16 and 17-year-olds in England by next Monday (August 23).

The plan was laid out by health secretary Sajid Javid yesterday and is designed to ensure this cohort has some protection against the disease before they return to school or college in September.

The Department of Health and Social Care said more than 800 GP-led vaccination sites will offer youngsters the vaccine, with booking invitations to be sent via text or letter. The DHSC said about 100,000 text booking invites have already been sent to eligible youngsters.

It also pointed to data from Public Health England and Cambridge University that claimed vaccination  has already saved 84,600 lives, and prevented 23.4 million infections and 66,900 hospitalisations in England.

All 12 to 15-year-olds who are clinically vulnerable or who live with adults who are at increased risk of serve illness from Covid will also be contacted to book a vaccine ahead of the new school term. 

However, there have been reports that some parents have not been able to secure a vaccine appointment for their clinically vulnerable 12 to 15-year-olds, who were added to the list of eligible groups on July 19.