NHS urges children aged 12-15 to take up jab offer

TWELVE to 15-year-olds in the East Midlands are being urged to get vaccinated as latest figures show that on average just 58 per cent in the region have had a first dose of the Covid vaccine.

Youngsters can get their first or second dose of the vaccine outside of school if they prefer by using the National Booking Service, which includes established sites such as community pharmacies, GPs and vaccination centres.

To make an appointment, children or their parents simply need to visit www.nhs. uk/covid-vaccination or call 119.

Children and young people can also get vaccinated at walk-in sites, which do not require an appointment or an NHS number. These can be found at www.nhs.uk/graba-jab.

Not every walk-in site can vaccinate children, but the website shows which ones do, and more sites are added regularly.

While most children infected usually have mild symptoms, some do become quite ill and some go on to develop more serious symptoms. This includes long Covid, which has sideeffects such as extreme fatigue and weakness.

While doctors are still learning about these longterm effects, it is clear that vaccination protects against the damage they can do.

Roz Lindridge, NHS improvement director responsible for overseeing the vaccination programme across the Midlands, said: “We are sadly seeing numbers of young people with Covid in hospitals across the region and many of them are not fully vaccinated or have not been vaccinated at all. So, I would urge parents of 12–15-yearolds to take up the offer as soon as they can.

“By getting vaccinated, children and young people can reduce the risk of passing on the infection to others in their family and others they come into contact with.

“Getting the vaccine can also make it easier for young people to avoid putting their lives and their education on hold because of further disruption to schools, hobbies and social events due to the virus.”