Petition · past parliament
Under 18s must have the option to be vaccinated against Covid-19
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
Give all families the choice to vaccinate their children against Covid-19.
Covid-19 is a preventable disease.
Without protection:
* 7000 children now have symptoms beyond 1 year (ONS)
* 8% of cases have symptoms beyond 3 months (ONS)
Covid-19 is a preventable disease.
Without protection:
* 7000 children now have symptoms beyond 1 year (ONS)
* 8% of cases have symptoms beyond 3 months (ONS)
All children risk Long Covid and some children will die without vaccination.
Infections in children ultimately spread to the wider community which will result in further deaths.
Households with clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely vulnerable (CV/CEV) members can be at greater risk of mortality, even with vaccinations.
Vulnerable Children were left out of priority groups 6 & 4 and urgently need to be vaccinated. They, and those who live in vulnerable households, must be prioritised.
Infections in children ultimately spread to the wider community which will result in further deaths.
Households with clinically vulnerable and clinically extremely vulnerable (CV/CEV) members can be at greater risk of mortality, even with vaccinations.
Vulnerable Children were left out of priority groups 6 & 4 and urgently need to be vaccinated. They, and those who live in vulnerable households, must be prioritised.
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
Petitions must call for a specific action that the UK Government or House of Commons is responsible for.
Decisions about whether Covid-19 vaccines can be administered to under 18s are a matter for Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), not the Government or House of Commons.
The MHRA has authorised an extension to the current UK approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that allows its use in 12- to 15-year-olds, and has said that it's now for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to advise on whether this age group will be vaccinated as part of the deployment programme: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-mhra-concludes-positive-safety-profile-for-pfizerbiontech-vaccine-in-12-to-15-year-olds
We could accept a petition calling on the Government to ensure that under 18s have access to any vaccine that has been authorised for use for under 18s, if that's something you would like to happen.
Decisions about whether Covid-19 vaccines can be administered to under 18s are a matter for Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), not the Government or House of Commons.
The MHRA has authorised an extension to the current UK approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that allows its use in 12- to 15-year-olds, and has said that it's now for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to advise on whether this age group will be vaccinated as part of the deployment programme: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-mhra-concludes-positive-safety-profile-for-pfizerbiontech-vaccine-in-12-to-15-year-olds
We could accept a petition calling on the Government to ensure that under 18s have access to any vaccine that has been authorised for use for under 18s, if that's something you would like to happen.
Timeline
| 17 Jun 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 23 Jun 2021 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
23 Jun 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.