A BASINGSTOKE doctor has urged residents to raise any concerns they have about the Covid vaccination directly with a health professional, after leaflets warning of its risks for children have been spotted around Basingstoke.

The leaflets, created by Safer to Wait campaigners and aimed at parents, have been distributed around the Top of Town and the Winchester Road area on Basingstoke in recent days, with one Kings Furlong Resident spotting them at the Winton Square bus stop.

They claim that the UK government intends to vaccinate children against the virus with "unlicensed and experimental" vaccines, and add that "most children have strong immune systems" and need not be prioritised for vaccination.

Basingstoke Gazette: The leaflet being distributed around Basingstoke.The leaflet being distributed around Basingstoke.

However, speaking to the Gazette, clinical director of the Jameson House vaccination centre, Dr Tim Cooper, said that "no current decision" has been made about vaccinating under 18s.

He added that the vaccination team in Basingstoke is aware of the leafleting, and appealed to anyone concerned to speak directly with health professionals.

He said: "We know vaccination keeps us and our communities safe, playing a decisive role in breaking the link between infections and admissions.

"Covid is a dangerous disease affecting not just those who are admitted unwell to hospital, but increasingly those who struggle with the after effects, what is being called long Covid."

Dr Cooper continued: "Decisions about vaccinations for those under 18 is still to be decided centrally by the JCVI. There is no current decision about vaccinating under 18s, unless they are clinically very high risk or part of a household who is shielding.

"I would encourage all concerned individuals to await the decision from the JCVI and explore their concerns with their health professional directly in the first instance."

A YouGov poll of 938 parents with children aged 17 or under found that 53 per cent would get their child vaccinated, rising to 59 per cent of parents who have already had, or were planning to get, the jab themselves.

However, one in five (18 per cent) of all parents said that they would not vaccinate their children, while another 29 per cent were unsure.

According to its various fundraising pages across the country, Safer to Wait is a national campaign run by "a group of concerned parents, teachers, doctors and lawyers" which says it aims to provide medical facts so that parents can reach a "balanced view of the risks and benefits for their children".