Public Health Northamptonshire opens vaccination centre appointments to 12 to 15 year olds

The invitation comes as vaccine uptake lags below one in ten amongst young teens
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Those aged 12 to 15 can now book their Covid-19 vaccinations outside of school in Northamptonshire, as part of a drive to increase uptake.

The Covid-19 vaccination booking service widened its scope today (October 25th), following announcements earlier that vaccinations in secondary schools are also being accelerated. This comes after it was revealed that only around one in five students aged between 12 and 15 had received jabs by Sunday (October 17). While in Northampton and Corby, that figures drops to around one in ten.

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Parents should already have been informed by Northamptonshire's vaccination team or their schools about the ongoing school-based vaccination programme.

The drive comes as Northamptonshire's teens lag behind the rest of the UKThe drive comes as Northamptonshire's teens lag behind the rest of the UK
The drive comes as Northamptonshire's teens lag behind the rest of the UK

Now this added option is said to give parents more choice about where their children can get their jabs as they can attend a number of vaccination sites as well.

These include Covid-19 Vaccination Centres in Moulton Park, Kings Heath, Northampton and Weavers Medical Centre in Kettering. More sites and appointments are becoming available daily. If booking, parents and guardians are invited to accompany their children at local clinics as consent can be given on the day - there is no need to print and sign a consent form in

advance.

The move is designed to ensure that those who have not had the opportunity to be vaccinated at their school can still find a jab elsewhere rather than having to wait.

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Chris Pallot, Director of Northamptonshire’s Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, said: “Having more options and ways to get jabbed is welcome news as we strive to get as many

people vaccinated as possible ahead of the winter months. Getting vaccinated will also help reduce the chance of disruption to children’s education from COVID-19.

"This move will support our programme to deliver the vaccination to 12 to 15 year olds across the county in a safe and effective manner. We don’t want anyone to miss out and this

provides parents with extra choice over where and when their child is vaccinated.

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“I would strongly urge any school children who are invited for the vaccine to come forward and take up the offer. The more people we vaccinate across the county, the better chance we have of protecting our communities and loved ones.

“We know that vaccinated people are much less likely to contract the disease and pass it on to others. It’s crucial you get vaccinated as soon as you can – everyone deserves the

protection of the vaccine."

However parents are told they should only seek one vaccination for their child, as most will only need one to be protected. Public Health Northamptonshire says those classed as high risk, with underlying conditions, may require a second jab and will be contacted by their GP.

Parents are also being advised to keep checking NHS.uk as more appointments and sites become available.

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The NHS booster rollout is also well underway and those invited are now able to get their booster jabs at selected drop-in clinics around the county. These drop-in clinics continue to be open to anyone aged 16 or over who has yet to take up the offer of a first vaccine dose or is eligible for a second dose (at least eight weeks after the first).

Full details of upcoming drop-in clinics are published online. Alternatively, people aged 16 and over, those invited for booster vaccines and children aged 12 to 15 can book appointments at local vaccine sites online, or by calling 119.