Coronavirus - Advice

Public Health Update (May 2022)

Advice for children and young people aged 18 and younger

New GOV.UK guidance has been published, here are some key messages:
- Respiratory infections are common in children and young people, but they are at a lower risk from COVID-19 infection, compared to the wider harms of missed or disrupted education.
- Given the importance of education, children and young people should continue to attend their nursery, school, college or university if they have mild respiratory symptoms. Only if they are unwell or have a high temperature should they stay at home. They should avoid contact with other people until they feel well enough or no longer have a temperature.
- COVID-19 testing is no longer recommended for children and young people aged 18 years and younger unless directed by a health professional. If they do test positive for COVID-19 they should try and avoid contact with others for 3 days after the day they took a test. After 3 days, they can resume normal activities, including returning to education, provided they feel well and do not have a high temperature. It is also recommended that children and young people who live with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 continue to attend their education setting as usual.

New Symptoms
Nine additional symptoms have been included – please see the NHS website for COVID-19 symptoms in children.

COVID-19 Vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 (non-urgent programme)
The NHS have sent an invite which some parents/carers would have received. Below are some key messages that you may wish to share with your parents/carers:

All children aged 5 to 11 are eligible to have the COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 cases remain high among school children. Getting vaccinated continues to be the best way to protect you and your family from the virus.
Please visit the NHS website to book your child’s vaccination.
Two doses are being offered to children aged 5 to 15 to give them the best protection against COVID-19. Most children can get a second dose from 12 weeks after they had their first dose. If your child has a condition that means they're at high risk from COVID-19 or they live with someone who has a weakened immune system, they can get a second dose from 8 weeks after they had their first dose.
Please visit GOV.UK for a guide for parents of children aged 5-11 at high risk from COVID-19 for more information.