Blackpool Multi Academy Trust CEOs welcome plans to vaccinate 12 to 15-year-olds in resort schools

The Blackpool Multi Academy Trust (MAT) Chief Executives group, which represents CEOs of MATs in the resort, said the town's secondary schools would be working with appropriate health services to facilitate first doses of the Pfizer jab from next week.

The group is made up of CEOs of trusts with more than one academy, who have pledged to work together to find common solutions to the challenges faced by resort schools.

The government announced yesterday that children in England will be able to get their first Pfizer vaccination from Monday, after chief medical officers (CMOs) ruled the jabs would "keep pupils in the classroom."

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the decision to roll out jabs to youngsters aged 12 to 15 took into account the "extremely powerful" evidence on the impact of the pandemic on children’s education, as well as the risks to their mental health from missing school.

Andy Mellor, chairman of the Blackpool Multi Academy Trust CEO group, said: "Blackpool Multi Academy Trust CEOs are aware that it is the intention of the government to offer a dose of the Pfizer vaccine to 12 -15 year olds in secondary schools across the country.

"Take up of the offer of a vaccine will be entirely voluntary

"The Blackpool Multi Academy Trust CEOs welcome any steps that will help to improve the health of the nation and help to keep students at school and avoid disruption to their

education.

"Secondary schools in Blackpool will therefore work with the appropriate health service bodies to facilitate the hosting of the offer of a vaccine to 12 to 15 year old students in the same way that schools work with health agencies in the roll out of the annual flu vaccine in schools and other NHS led activity.

"Any further information about the logistics of the vaccine offer roll out will be released by the health services in Blackpool in due course and is not a matter for Blackpool secondary

schools."