BOROUGH Council chiefs have confirmed concerns about outbreaks of Covid-19 among children in who are below the age for a vaccination.

Official figures show that the highest number of new cases in Richmond upon Thames involve children in the first year of secondary school or at primary.

Twickenham Nub News reported yesterday that a leading borough secondary school has more than one in 10 pupils in Year 7 off due to Covid-19.

The current vaccination rules are that only children aged 12 and over are entitled to a vaccination.

The Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced yesterday that children aged 12-15 years old can now book a second jab, provided their first one was at least three months ago.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is considering whether to approve vaccination of younger children and a decision is expected before Christmas.

Official data shows that in Richmond borough there are more cases of Covid-19 in the under 15s than in any other age group.

There were 221 cases recorded in children aged 10-14 over the most recent seven day period.

The number was higher, at 259, in 5-9 year olds.

By comparison, the figure was just 27 in teens aged 15-19

and 22 in those aged 20-24. A spokesperson for Richmond Council said: "Our schools are working really hard to combat COVID-19, and where there are outbreaks, we work with the schools to support them. "However, this is not just about what the schools can do, but also about the young people and their families. "In recent weeks we have seen a rise in the number of young people testing positive for COVID-19, many of these are not currently eligible for the vaccine i.e. below 12 years of age. "Outbreaks can cause disruption to education and it's important to contain them as quickly as possible. "It is essential that all young people in secondary schools take routine lateral flow tests twice a week. If they test positive they need to self-isolate immediately, requesting a PCR test. "PCR tests can be booked online and lateral flow tests can be picked up from local libraries or pharmacies. "All parents and children aged 12 years and above are strongly advised to take covid-19 vaccine as soon as they become eligible. "Face coverings should be worn in communal areas in all settings by staff, visitors and pupils or students in year 7 and above, unless they are exempt. Pupils or students (in year 7 or above) should continue to wear face coverings on public and dedicated school transport, unless they are exempt."

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