Covid-19 jabs for children available at walk-in site

WALK-IN appointments for children aged five to 11 to get the Covid-19 vaccine are available this half-term.

Hamble House at St James’ Hospital in Milton is one of three mass vaccination centres across the county run by Solent NHS Trust with no need to book in advance.

The other two are in Oakley Road in Southampton and The Riverside Centre on the Isle of Wight.

Vaccines are offered on a first come, first served basis and there may be a short wait.

Angela Anderson, deputy chief nurse and clinical director for the Covid-19 vaccination programme at Solent NHS Trust, said: ‘The decision to get your child vaccinated, as a parent or guardian, is yours.

‘Not only can the vaccine help protect your child against serious Covid infection, but it can also decrease the risk of passing on the infection to others and reduce the impact it can have on their education.

‘So, if you or your child have not yet received the vaccine, why not walk in to one of our centres this half-term?

‘Our fantastic teams have created a child and familyfriendly atmosphere to ensure that everyone is as comfortable as possible when getting their jabs, and we are on hand every step of the way to answer any queries you may have about the vaccine.’

If you would rather book an appointment, slots must be booked via the national booking system at nhs.uk.

You can also call the Vaccination Helpline on 0300 561 0018 to find the nearest site (including more walk-ins and pop-ups).

To find opening times of the clinics and details of your nearest walk-in, go to nhs.uk.