Parents of healthy 12 to 15-year-olds will be asked to give their consent if vaccines are approved for secondary school-age teenagers.
But a well-established legal principle allowing some under-16s to override their parents’ wishes will still apply in some cases.
At present, only healthy teenagers over the age of 16 can get vaccinated and they do not need to seek permission to do so.
But when asked if parents would get a bigger say for younger teens, Nadhim Zahawi told Sky’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday: ‘I can give that assurance, absolutely.’
Appearing later in the morning on Times Radio, Mr Zahawi later said they would be able to go against their parents ‘if they are deemed competent’.
His comments are in line with the medical concept of ‘Gillick competency’, whereby under-16s can make decisions about their own medical treatment if ‘they’re believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate what’s involved in their treatment’.
The government is still weighing up whether to press ahead with extending the rollout to younger teens despite its own advisory body declining to endorse the policy.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said there was insufficient justification for jabbing the age group on medical grounds but invited NHS bosses and ministers to consider the wider benefits, such as keeping schools open.
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty and his counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to make recommendations to the government this month.
It has been reported ministers have already put plans in place to begin the programme this coming week if they get the go ahead from senior health experts.
He said the government has not ‘made any decisions’ on vaccinating the age group and would wait for advice from the country’s leading health experts before going ahead.
The infection rate remains high across the country, with cases topping the 40,000 mark for the first time since July on September 3.
There are fears schools returning in parts of the UK over the next fortnight could further push cases up.
In Scotland, where schools have been back since mid-August, the number of pupils absent from classrooms doubled over a week to hit 32,000 in the most recent data released on Friday, despite relaxation of close contact rules.
Pressed on the UK’s outlook heading into winter, Mr Zahawi said he will do ‘everything in my power’ to avoid another lockdown and is focused on making sure the booster programme is delivered.
He wants to continue the transition of the virus ‘from pandemic to endemic status’ so that we can ‘get life back to as normal as we can make it as quickly as possible’.
Mr Zahawi also confirmed the government is planning on pressing ahead with vaccine passports.
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