‘Getting advice’ Robert Jenrick unveils plans to extend vaccination rollout to under 18s

Robert Jenrick discusses possibility of vaccinating under 18s

The Housing Secretary told Sky News on Sunday that the Government are considering vaccinating British children from coronavirus and are waiting on advice from the Joint Commission on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on whether to “proceed”. Mr Jenrick insisted ministers would not make a decision on the issue until a full report and advice has been issued by the JCVI and supplied to the government, which he expected “very soon”.

Mr Jenrick said: “Now that we have offered the jab to all adults we will be taking advice in the coming days from the JCVI.

“We haven’t yet received their final advice on whether to extend the vaccine rollout to children.

“That seems like a sensible thing to do and so we will be looking carefully at their advice when we receive it.

“We expect it very soon on whether or not we should open up the vaccine programme.

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Jenrick hinted at kids getting vaccinated (Image: Sky News)

Robert Jenrick said the government will make a decision when they have the information (Image: Sky News)

“In the first instance, to those children who are just short of their 18th birthday.

“To those children who have particular vulnerabilities and those children who are in households where there are people who are particularly vulnerable.

“That seems like a sensible way for us to proceed.

“But ministers will need to make that decision when they are armed with the final advice from the JCVI.”

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Coronavirus rule changes July 19 (Image: Express.co.uk)

He added: “And as I say I expect we will be receiving that advice very soon.”

The comments come as over 50,000 children could be “forgotten” over the summer in new guidance for vulnerable people, according to the scientists.

There are currently 52,745 people under the age of 18 in England on the Government’s shielding list who could be at risk when restrictions ease on July 19.

This group have been recommended by the government to avoid the unvaccinated and meet others outside from next Monday.

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UK covid stats as of July 17 2021 (Image: Express.co.uk)

It comes as Boris Johnson announced earlier this week how the government had updated covid guidance for the 3.8 million people classed as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) in England.

He went on to warn this group to take extra measures “when Covid-19 disease levels in the general community are high”.

The new guidance comes ahead of ‘Freedom Day’ on July 19 which will see many covid restrictions scrapped in England as the country emerges from the pandemic.

Social distancing, mandatory mask wearing and restrictions on hopitality will all be dropped but there are rising concers amongst scientists that the UK’s decision to ‘unlock’ could have trigger a wave of over 200,000 infections a day by next month.