PARENTS of children aged five to 11 years old have been encouraged to start their child’s COVID-19 vaccinations before school goes back after booking for vaccinations opened last week.

The Pfizer children’s vaccine is the approved COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 years in Australia - the dose is around one-third of the dose for people aged 12 years and older.

Children receive two doses of the vaccine, eight weeks apart - in certain circumstances, the second dose can be brought forward to three weeks after the first dose, including in an outbreak response, prior to the initiation of significant immunosuppression and before international travel.

The Western District Health Service (WDHS) chief executive, Rohan Fitzgerald, said local parents quickly responded.

“I know many parents of primary school children are very keen to get their children vaccinated before school returns, so they are better protected against COVID-19,” he said.

“WDHS is one of 18 state-run vaccination centres offering child vaccinations across Victoria and appointments are also available at local General Practitioner (GP) and pharmacies.

“We’ve scheduled over 900 appointments in January for children in this age group, and we are already seeing fantastic uptake at WDHS,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

A clinical trial showed vaccination offered excellent protection against COVID-19 in children.

Even though COVID-19 in this age group is often milder than in adults, the evidence has supported vaccinating children to reduce the risk of getting seriously ill from the virus.

Vaccines give the immune system a helping hand to protect against serious illness and the possible long-term effects of COVID-19.

Vaccination also helps protect friends, family, and the community by reducing the spread of the virus.

A family friendly forest theme with fun images of nature and animals in state-run hubs has been designed to create a warm and welcoming environment for children to receive their vaccination.

Paediatric Clinic co-ordinator, Kath Vine said the WDHS team wants the vaccination experience to be a positive one for young children.

“Our vaccination team has been planning the paediatric clinics for several weeks to ensure they are child-friendly, with plenty of distractions and fun activities for kids,” she said. 

“The clinics are designed to cater for children who may need additional support during their vaccination process, so we have distraction tools like virtual reality headsets on hand to assist.

Parents have been encouraged to book a vaccination appointment for their child as soon as possible and talk to their GP if they have any questions or concerns.

Consent is required from a parent or guardian at booking and at the appointment - if a parent or guardian is unable to attend the appointment, a nominated accompanying adult can be identified during the booking process.

Bookings can be made via the DHHS Vaccination Hotline 1800 675 398 or online at portal.cvms.vic.gov.au.

Paediatric vaccination appointments are also available at local GP clinics and pharmacies.

For further details about vaccinations for young children, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-information.