How to get your vaccine You can get your first dose if you're aged 12 years or over.
Young people don't need an appointment for their first dose and can walk in:
Monday to Friday, 11.30am to 6.30pm Saturday and Sunday, 8.30am to 3.30pm
Vaccine centre information
The schools vaccination programme will start in secondary schools and colleges from 29 November 2021.
Second and third doses
All Islanders aged 12 years and over are eligible for a second dose, which needs to be booked at Fort Regent.
If you're 16 to 17 years old, you can get a second dose if 12 weeks have passed since your first dose.
If you're 18 or over, you can get a second dose if 4 weeks have passed since your first dose.
If you're aged 16 or over, you can get a third and booster (fourth) dose if you're:
clinically at risk (moderate risk) clinically extremely vulnerable (high risk) living with someone who is at moderate or high risk When to get your vaccine 12 to 15 years old First dose No recent COVID infection Get your first dose now First dose PCR confirmed COVID infection in last 12 weeks Wait until 12 weeks or more have passed since you tested positive Second dose (Fort Regent only) No recent COVID infection Wait 12 weeks since you had your first dose Second dose (Fort Regent only) PCR confirmed COVID infection in last 12 weeks Wait until 12 weeks or more have passed since you tested positive
16 to 17 years old First dose No recent COVID infection Get your first dose now First dose PCR confirmed COVID infection in last 12 weeks Wait until 12 weeks or more have passed since you tested positive Second dose (Fort Regent only) No recent COVID infection Wait 12 weeks since you had your first dose Second dose (Fort Regent only) PCR confirmed COVID infection in last 12 weeks Wait until 12 weeks or more have passed since you tested positive
If the required number of weeks have not passed since the date of your PCR test, the vaccine will not be administered. This follows advice from the JCVI.
Parental permission and getting a vaccine at school
You should share information about the vaccine with your parents and discuss it together.
Aged 12 to 15 years old If you are aged 12 to 15, and getting your vaccine at Fort Regent, a parent or carer must attend the appointment with you so that they can fill out the vaccine form to give consent.
If you are getting your vaccine at school, your parent or carer must complete and return the consent form to your school.
Parents are not required to attend the school vaccine appointment.
Aged 16 and 17 years old
Once you reach 16, you are presumed in law to be competent to give consent for yourself.
If you are getting the first dose of the vaccine at school, make sure you complete and return the consent form to school yourself.
At the vaccination centre
There is a special area for 12 to 15 year olds set up at Fort Regent. There is a team of staff who have experience giving vaccines to young people.
Parents or carers attending the appointment are must bring their ID, as well as the ID of their young person.
Vaccine centre information
Vaccination benefits
Less likely to catch and spread COVID Young people are half as likely to catch COVID-19 after a single dose compared to someone unvaccinated This also makes you less likely to give COVID to your parents, grandparents or classmates
Fewer people will become ill and new restrictions will be less likely, meaning schools and sports clubs can stay open Less likely to get ill If you get vaccinated against COVID-19 you will be less likely to become ill, even if you become infected. Some people who become infected with coronavirus, have symptoms for a long time
Is the vaccine safe?
The medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have confirmed the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective for 12 to 17 year olds.
This followed careful and detailed reviews of the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccines in children and young people .
Europe, the USA, Canada and Israel and other countries have been vaccinating young people aged 12 to 15 years for many months. Over 8 million 12 to 15 year olds in the US have been vaccinated.
Chief Medical Officers and JCVI advice The decision to offer vaccinations to 12 to 15 year olds came from four Chief Medical Officers in the UK. Their decision was based on all the evidence available to them, including from:
mental health child health clinical and public health colleagues general practice clinical advice from the JVCI Their decision focused on the benefit for young people. It didn't include the possible benefit to other people outside of this age group because of vaccination 12 to 15 year olds.
JCVI The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an independent group of Scientists. They advise the UK Government on health and vaccines, with a focus on clinical benefits of vaccination.
The JCVI announced universal vaccination of 12 to 15 year olds was not justified, based on clinical evidence alone. But, they understood that other factors needed to be considered, for example the impact on schooling and young peoples' mental health.
They asked the four Chief Medical Officers of the UK to take these additional factors into account. On this basis their conclusion was to vaccinate all 12 to 5 year olds.
Side effects and what to do Like all medicines, vaccines can cause side effects. Most of these are mild and short term, and not everyone gets them.
Side effects are less common with only one dose.
Common side effects include:
your arm feeling heavy or sore where you got the injection feeling tired feeling achy or like you have the flu You should rest. You can also take paracetamol (follow the dose advice in the packaging) to help make you feel better.
If you have a high temperature, or your side effects last longer than 2 to 3 days, you or your parent should contact your doctor and tell them your symptoms.
Report your side effects You can report your side effects on the Yellow Card website.
If you get COVID The vaccination will help to protect you against COVID-19.
COVID-19 is usually a milder illness for young people that rarely leads to complications, being vaccinated makes it less likely for you to catch the virus and need to isolate.
For some young people who catch the virus, the symptoms may last for longer than the usual 2 to 3 weeks.
Information from the experts Dr Muscat is Jersey's Deputy Medical Officer. He specialises in microbiology, virology, infectious diseases and their infection prevention and control. You have probably seen him in videos and interviews speaking about COVID. Dr Muscat has led our medical response to the pandemic.
VIDEO
A panel of experts, doctors and our vaccination programme answered questions from children and young people. Watch the recording from the live event.
VIDEO
Speak to a health care expert about getting vaccinated You have the right to speak to a health care professional to get the information you need to make a health-related decision.
You can:
Tips for parents Some people may have hesitations about getting the vaccine. It's important to be open and honest and help young people make informed choices:
ask about what's making them hesitant show respect for how they feel and ability to make to make their own decision be a role model and explain why you got vaccinated share reliable sources to get information You can also talk about
vaccine misinformation and how to check the facts .
gov.je