All children over five will be able to get vaccinated against Covid-19 from April.
The “non-urgent offer” to the parents of nearly six million 5-11 year olds was confirmed by the Government moments after advice issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
Two smaller doses of the Pfizer jab, 12 weeks apart, will be available to this age group to help control future Covid waves after Covid curbs have been lifted.
It is understood there are no plans for a major publicity drive to encourage this age group to be vaccinated and it will be left very much up to parents to decide.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, Covid chair of the JCVI, said: "The Committee has carefully considered the potential direct health impacts of vaccination and potential indirect educational impacts.
"The main purpose of offering vaccination to 5-11 year olds is to increase their protection against severe illness in advance of a potential future wave of Covid-19."
Millions of children in this age group in other countries such as the US and Germany have had Covid jabs to protect a small minority who experience severe symptoms.
The huge amounts of patient data shows they have suffered little or no side effects.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had already announced that the jab for 5-11 year olds was safe.
The JCVI said: “Offering the vaccine ahead of another potential wave will protect this very small number of children from serious illness and hospitalisation, and will also provide some short-term protection against mild infection across the age group.”
The NHS is already offering vaccines to at-risk children and those who live with immunosuppressed people in this age group.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “I have accepted the advice from the independent JCVI to make a non-urgent offer of Covid-19 vaccines to all children aged five to 11 in England.
“Children without underlying health conditions are at low risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and the priority remains for the NHS to offer vaccines and boosters to adults and vulnerable young people, as well as to catch-up with other childhood immunisation programmes.
“The NHS will prepare to extend this non-urgent offer to all children during April so parents can, if they want, take up the offer to increase protection against potential future waves of COVID-19 as we learn to live with this virus.”
The JCVI announcement has been repeatedly delayed and there had been speculation it was being held back for Boris Johnson 's plan to “live with Covid” before the self-isolation requirement is lifted, expected from February 24.
However devolved governments for Scotland and Wales, which had also received the JCVI advice, on Wednesday announced they were opening up jabs for healthy 5-11 year olds.
The JCVI insisted existing childhood jabs such as MMR as well as Covid jabs for adults should be prioritised.
The NHS does not want operations cancelled so it can vaccinate this age group, as they were for adults.
Prof Shen Lim added: “Other important childhood vaccinations, such as MMR and HPV, have fallen behind due to the pandemic.
“It is vital these programmes continue and are not displaced by the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine to this age group.”
Dr Simon Williams, of Swansea University, said: “A number of polls, including one by Ipsos Mori last year, found that a majority of parents, including parents of younger children, would want their child to get vaccinated if possible.
“The point is not that parents should be forced, pressured, or expected to have their child vaccinated.
“There is much less risk of severe outcomes for children from Covid-19. But rather parents should be given the choice.”
There are an estimated 5.8 million five to 11-year-olds in the UK.
