Thousands of Lancashire children aged five to 11 eligible for Covid-19 vaccine as NHS bookings open

The National Booking Service opened on Monday (April 4), allowing the parents of children who are between five and 11 to book their Covid-19 vaccines

The NHS made the vaccine available for all five to 11-year-olds following updated Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisations (JCVI) guidance.

The guidance recommended all children would benefit from a non-urgent offer of the vaccine to help protect against potential future waves of COVID-19.

Jane Scattergood, chief nurse and senior responsible officer for the Lancashire and South Cumbria vaccination programme, said: “Vaccines remain our best defence against COVID-19 and will reduce the risk of children becoming seriously ill if they do contract this virus.

“The vaccine is safe and effective for children in this age group and appointments have been made longer so families can speak with clinicians to make an informed decision while making it stress-free for children.”

Many sites across the region will be providing vaccinations to five to 11-year-olds.

NHS staff and volunteers are working hard to make the environment as fun and comfortable as possible, including a jungle-themed room and adventure trail at Blackburn Cathedral.

The majority of appointments for this age group will be available at local vaccination centres or community pharmacies outside of school hours.

They are available to book via the National Booking Service, available via the NHS website or by calling 119.

There are also vaccine walk-in sites across the country which families can find via www.nhs.uk/grab-a-jab.

The online finder shows which walk-in sites can vaccinate which age groups.

The NHS will also be sending invites to parents and guardians of eligible children throughout the next few weeks.

“We know COVID-19 cases are rising in the community so I strongly encourage parents of children aged five to 11 to read the NHS information available and book a vaccine to make sure your family and loved ones are protected,” Jane Scattergood added.

Parents and guardians were encouraged to read the patient and consent information in advance of booking their child’s appointment.

They will be asked to provide consent for their child’s vaccination on the day.

Families will be given a vaccination record card once their child has been vaccinated and are asked to keep this in a safe place.

The vaccination record card provides the name of the vaccine, batch number and the date the vaccine was given.

It is thanks to our loyal readers that we can continue to provide the trusted news, analysis and insight that matters to you.

For unlimited access to our unrivalled local reporting, you can take out a subscription HERE and help support the work of our dedicated team of reporters.