Dad and mom spend hundreds to journey overseas to get jabs for his or her kids aged underneath 11

Some dad and mom have resorted to spending hundreds of kilos on taking their kids underneath the age of 11 overseas to get vaccinated towards Covid, i has realized.

Kids aged 5-11 who’re clinically susceptible or stay with somebody who’s immunosuppressed can now obtain paediatric doses of the Pfizer jab following recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in December.

However one mom, from Surrey, who’s severely immunosuppressed informed i she was “mad as hell” after struggling to entry a vaccine for her seven-year-old daughter regardless of her being eligible within the UK.

Her daughter travelled to New York on Friday for her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, having acquired her first jab there in early December.

The mom, who requested to not be named, mentioned her GP had “heard nothing” about providing the jab to her daughter.

Her daughter is eligible because the mom has a number of well being situations, together with mass cell activation dysfunction, a situation which causes extreme allergic signs. She mentioned was informed she “most likely wouldn’t survive Covid” if she caught it.

A letter despatched by the NHS to GP practices and healthcare staff after the JCVI up to date its recommendation acknowledged that it was “working at tempo” to assist implementation of the modifications throughout January.

At present, clinicians can administer fractionated grownup doses to eligible 5-11-year-olds.

NHS England was not in a position to present a determine on what number of 5–11-year-olds have acquired a Covid jab.

i understands immunosuppressed dad and mom will obtain letters to allow them to get jabs for his or her kids, however the supply of the rollout is shifting too sluggish for some.

The mom, who has had 4 doses of the Covid vaccine, mentioned she organized her little one’s vaccination within the US to guard her daughter, not herself.

“My worst worry is her getting lengthy Covid,” she mentioned.

“I’m scared for myself, sure, however as I mentioned largely for my daughter her shedding me and blaming herself.”

The mom, who didn’t journey together with her daughter and husband due to her well being, mentioned: “They wore KN95 [masks] all instances on the flight. My daughter didn’t thoughts a jot.

“We booked a hospital appointment as she has allergic reactions and I didn’t wish to threat anaphylaxis in a chemist. She was tremendous. Not a flinch at needle and nil unwanted effects.”

The journeys have price the household round £8,000, a value they imagine was value paying.

“I’ll really feel happier when she’s house and double vaccinated and checks detrimental,” the mom mentioned.

Chris and Glad Salt’s kids Luke, 5, and Chloe, seven, should not presently eligible for the jab within the UK.

They selected to journey by automobile to France to vaccinate their kids due to issues concerning the unfold of Omicron, the danger of lengthy Covid and transmission to Mr Salt’s susceptible mom.

Mr Salt mentioned: “Defending them with the vaccine, clearly primarily protects them but additionally, hopefully, protects my mum after we go and meet up as a household as effectively.”

Mrs Salt mentioned she was “upset that on this nation it’s not out there but and now we have to go throughout the border to get our kids vaccinated”.

She added: “We’re not a 3rd world nation so we should always be capable to do it right here. It’s loopy.”