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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Kieran Isgin

Vaccination of at-risk under 12s due to start this month

Children under the age of 12 who are classed as at-risk will be vaccinated, according to the Health Secretary.

Sajid Javid made the announcement during a Downing Street press conference where he gave further details on the government's Covid-19 plan as Plan B rules begin to be scrapped.

He said the JCVI advises: "that we should vaccinate under-12s that are at risk and that is exactly what we plan to do, and we will start that this month, but they are keeping that under review to see if we should expand that more broadly to everyone in that cohort”.

Read more: Covid isolation rules will be dropped by March as people who test positive won't have to stay home

It comes after the government announced it will scrap Plan B rules and restrictions starting today and in the coming weeks and months, including mandatory face masks and self-isolation.

The Health Secretary also said Omicron is “in retreat” but warned that now is not the “finish line” in the fight against coronavirus.

Saying there is a fall in infections and hospital admissions, Mr Javid added: “This plan has worked and the data shows that Omicron is in retreat.”

He described the relaxation of measures as a “major milestone”, adding: “But it’s not the end of the road and we shouldn’t see this as the finish line because we cannot eradicate this virus and its future variants.

“Instead we must learn to live with Covid in the same way we have to live with flu. And we will be setting out our long-term plan for living with Covid-19 this spring.”

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